Legendary Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown decided he had to find Otto Graham’s successor in 1952.
With his first-round pick in the NFL draft, Brown chose quarterback Harry Agganis, the son of poor immigrants and a standout at Boston University. Agganis was a bit of a legend in Boston. A multi-sport high school star in West Lynn, Massachusetts, he was recruited by 75 colleges but chose BU so he could be near his widowed mother.
His play drew crowds where there had been none and caught the attention of the NFL’s greatest coach.