The Cincinnati Enquirer
It was May, 1997, and the Bengals and the county had just signed a lease agreement on the new stadium. Bengals President Mike Brown stood proudly in front of a stadium model and a banner proclaiming its name: Paul Brown Stadium.
"His name on the stadium is one of the best things about all of this," Mike Brown said of his father. "It honors our game and recognizes the heroes of our game."
Indeed. Paul Brown not only founded the Bengals and the Cleveland Browns before that, he revolutioned coaching and the game of football.
''He brought innovation and meticulous organization to every level of the game and was a true founder of the modern era,'' said NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Brown was the first coach to use playbooks, to make a thorough film study of his players and his plays, to use classroom teaching techniques and IQ tests. He instituted face masks, the full-time coaching staff, the draw play, calling plays from the sideline using a messenger, the radio helmet and the 40-yard dash (that was about the length of a punt, so he timed players running the distance to see who could cover kicks).
"He brought a system into pro football," said another Hall of Fame coach, Sid Gillman. "I always felt that before Paul Brown, coaches just rolled the ball out on the practice field."
Brown was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1967, his first year of eligibility, a year before the Bengals even played their first game.
He made his first mark in pro football by founding the Browns. He named the team after himself and coached them to a record of 167-53-8 in 17 seasons. The Browns won four championships in the All-America Football Conference, followed by three NFL titles. From 1946-55, they never failed to reach the championship game of their league.
But at age 59, Brown was fired in 1963 in a personality clash with new owner Art Modell.
Cleveland's loss was Cincinnati's gain.
Brown stayed out of football for five years, turning down one coaching
opportunity after another. He wanted total control.
Finally, area political and business leaders urged him to put together a
group to bring pro football to Cincinnati. After missing out on an NFL franchise that was awarded to New Orleans, Cincinnati received an American Football League team in 1967.
''His name was the key instrument in the thing,'' said John Sawyer, president of the new franchise. ''They wanted him back in the league.''
The Bengals were wholly Brown's creation. He picked the players, the uniforms, the nickname, the training site, everything.
Brown made it a point to say he hadn't changed in the years he'd been out of the game. He was a disciplinarian then, now and always. The rules were simple: Miss a team meal, a plane or a meeting and you'll be fined.
''Paul Brown would never raise his voice,'' said the great Browns quarterback, Otto Graham. ''He'd just stare at you with those cold, steely eyes that went right through you. And that was worse.''
But Brown wasn't always a taskmaster.
Bob Johnson, center on the first Bengals team, remembered the first preseason game - a lopsided 38-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
''I expected him to come in screaming, but he was always in control. He came in and said, 'Wasn't bad. Could have been worse.' That was it. He knew we needed the encouragement.''
Brown had already proved himself as a coach. When he started the Bengals, he wanted to prove he could coach and build a franchise.
The proof came quickly. The Bengals made the playoffs in their third season - 1970 - the year the NFL and AFL merged.
''The five years I was out of football were the dark days of my existence,'' Brown later reflected. ''Starting over in Cincinnati was rejuvenating for me. Having this team meant staying with my life's work; it was like staying alive.''
He coached five more seasons, making the playoffs two more times. After the Bengals went 11-3 in 1975, the 67-year-old Brown stepped down.
''It's easier to do when it's your choice,'' he said. ''It was getting tougher to lose.''
He left behind one of the most impressive coaching records of all time. Counting the football powerhouses he created at Massillon High School and Ohio State University, he won 351, lost 135 and tied 15 in 41 seasons.
Brown remained as the Bengals general manager, making the big decisions that put the team in the Super Bowl in 1981 and 1989. He stayed in charge until his death on Aug. 5, 1991, at the age of 82.
If he came off as cold and steely to some, Brown won the admiration of many of his players. The man they called "PB" always touched on what he called "the eternal verities:" Honesty. Hard work. Love of family.
''The fierce image of Paul Brown preceded him,'' said former linebacker Reggie Williams, ''but that belied the emotional involvement he had for those who played for him. The most endearing aspect about the man was his open-door policy. He always made you feel like the policy was just for you, even though you knew it applied to everyone else, too.''
''The thing I remember most about Paul was his hidden compassion,'' said former cornerback Ken Riley. ''On the surface he was all business. But I was in the league three or four years when my grandmother passed away. We were in Miami to play a preseason game and he said, 'I don't want you playing in this game. Go home.' "
Said former Bengals coach Sam Wyche, who also played for Brown: ''There are a lot of times a coach fails to recognize that a guy needs a pat on the back ... a crumb right now to keep him going. Paul had a very good feeling for players. He understood how to discipline them, but he also knew the other side.''
Reporters got to see the other side after the Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game in 1989. In the locker room, Brown danced the Ickey Shuffle with rookie star Ickey Woods. As he congratulated his players, there were tears in his eyes.
''That,'' said former wide receiver Cris Collinsworth, ''was the most touching moment of my life.'
Bengals make right call on stadium name Paul Daugherty column, June 2, 1997
