1945 Cleveland Rams season

The 1945 Cleveland Rams season was the team's eighth year with the National Football League and the ninth and final season in Cleveland. Led by the brother tandem of head coach Adam Walsh and general manager Chile Walsh, and helmed by future Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Waterfield, the Rams franchise finished 9-1 before winning its first NFL Championship by defeating the Washington Redskins, 15-14, at Cleveland Stadium. Other stars on the team included receiver Jim Benton and back Jim Gillette, who gained more than 100 yards in the title game.

1945 Cleveland Rams season
Head coachAdam Walsh
Home fieldLeague Park
Results
Record9–1
Division place1st NFL Western
Playoff finishWon NFL Championship

One month after winning the championship, team owner Dan Reeves, frustrated by continuing financial losses and anxious over the startup in the coming year of the All-America Football Conference Cleveland Browns, moved the team to Los Angeles, marking the first and only time an NFL champion has played the following season in another city.

Off season

NFL Draft
Main article: 1945 NFL Draft
= Hall of Famer
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollege
15Elroy "Crazylegs" HirschEndMichigan
216Milan LazetichTackleMichigan
321W.G. (Dub) WootenEndOklahoma
432Jack ZillyEndNotre Dame
537Roger HardingCenterCalifornia
648Jerry CowhigBackNotre Dame
759Fred NegusCenterWisconsin
870Johnny AugustBackAlabama
981Dick HuffmanTackleTennessee
1092Vern WaltersBackAlma
11103Tom FearsEndUCLA
12114Joe WinklerCenterPurdue
13125Jack AlandTackleAlabama
14136Chuck UknesBackIowa
15147Bill LundBackCase Western Reserve
16158Bob BartonEndHoly Cross
17169Dick HoernerBackIowa
18180Lee KennonTackleOklahoma
19191Eagle MatulichBackMississippi State
20202Bill GriffinTackleKentucky
21213Leroy EricksonBackOregon
22224Ray EvansTackleTexas-El Paso
23235Luke HigginsTackleNotre Dame
24246Stan NowakEndSouth Carolina
25257Gene KonopkaGuardVillanova
26268Ray FlorekBackIllinois
27279Russ PerryBackWake Forest
28290Pat WestBackUSC
29301Bill DavisBackOregon
30312Charley ComptonTackleAlabama

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Results Venue Attendance
Final score Team record
1 Bye Week
2 September 30, 1945 Chicago Cardinals W 21–0 1–0 League Park 10,872
3 October 7, 1945 Chicago Bears W 17–0 2–0 League Park 19,580
4 October 14, 1945 at Green Bay Packers W 27–14 3–0 East Stadium 24,607
5 October 21, 1945 at Chicago Bears W 41–21 4–0 Wrigley Field 28,273
6 October 28, 1945 at Philadelphia Eagles L 14–28 4–1 Shibe Park 38,149
7 November 4, 1945 at New York Giants W 21–17 5–1 Polo Grounds 46,219
8 November 11, 1945 Green Bay Packers W 20–7 6–1 League Park 28,686
9 November 18, 1945 at Chicago Cardinals W 35–21 7–1 Comiskey Park 18,000
10 November 22, 1945 at Detroit Lions W 28–21 8–1 Briggs Stadium 40,017
11 December 2, 1945 Boston Yanks W 20–7 9–1 League Park 18,470

Standings
NFL Western Division
W L T PCT DIV PF PA STK
Cleveland Rams 9 1 0 .900 7–0 244 136 W5
Detroit Lions 7 3 0 .700 5–2 195 194 W1
Green Bay Packers 6 4 0 .600 3–4 258 173 L1
Chicago Bears 3 7 0 .300 2–6 192 235 W2
Chicago Cardinals 1 9 0 .100 1–6 98 228 L6

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Regular season

Week 2: vs. Chicago Cardinals
Week Two: Cleveland Rams vs. Chicago Cardinals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 0 000
Rams 0 7 14021

at League Park

  • Date: September 30
  • Game attendance: 10,872
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • CLE – Waterfield 8-yard run (Waterfield kick)
Third quarter
  • CLE – Pritko 4 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
  • CLE – Gillette 25-yard run (Waterfield kick)
Fourth quarter

Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Three: Cleveland Rams vs. Chicago Cardinals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 000
Rams 14 3 0017

at League Park

  • Date: September 30
  • Game attendance: 19,580
Game information
First quarter
  • CLE – Waterfield 8-yard run (Waterfield kick)
  • CLE – Pritko 25 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
Second quarter
  • CLE – FG Waterfield 28
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Week 4: at Green Bay Packers
1 2 3 4 Total
Rams 6 0 0 21 27
Packers 0 0 7 7 14

at East Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Game attendance: 24,607

CLE – Benton 17 pass from Waterfield (kick failed)
GB – Comp 1 run (Hutson kick)
GB – Fritsch 3 run (Hutson kick)
CLE – Colella 6 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Greenwood 1 run (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Colella 5 run (Waterfield kick)

Week 5: at Chicago Bears
1 2 3 4 Total
Rams 6 14 7 14 41
Bears 0 7 14 0 21

at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Game attendance: 28,273

CLE – Greenwood 11 run (kick failed)
CLE – Colella 3 run (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Gehrke 10 run (Waterfield kick)
CHI – Margarita 1 run (Gudauskas kick)
CHI – Margarita 42 pass from Luckman (Gudauskas kick)
CHI – Gallameau 2 run (Gudauskas kick)
CLE – Greenwood 8 run (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Benton 21 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Colella 18 pass from Reisz (Waterfield kick)

Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 7: at New York Giants

Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 9: at Chicago Cardinals

Week 10: at Detroit Lions

Week 11: vs. Boston Yanks

Post season

NFL Championship Game: vs. Washington Redskins
NFL Championship Game
1 2 34Total
Redskins 0 7 7014
Rams 2 7 6015

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium

  • Date: December 16, 1945
  • Game weather: −8 °F (−22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 32,178

In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5-yard line. Dropping back into the end zone, quarterback Sammy Baugh threw, but the ball hit the goal post (which at the time were on the goal line instead of at the back of the end zone) and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2–0 lead.

In the second quarter, Baugh suffered bruised ribs and was replaced by Frank Filchock. Filchock threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Steve Bagarus to give the Redskins a 7–2 lead. But the Rams scored just before halftime when rookie quarterback Bob Waterfield threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jim Benton. Waterfield's ensuing extra point was partially blocked, with the ball teetering on the crossbar, but it dropped over to give Cleveland a 9–7 lead.

In the third quarter, the Rams increased their lead when Jim Gillette scored on a 44-yard touchdown reception, but this time the extra point was missed. The Redskins then came back to cut their deficit to 15–14 with Seymour's 8-yard touchdown catch from Filchock. In the fourth quarter, Washington kicker Joe Aguirre missed two field goals attempts, of 46 and 31 yards, that could have won the game.

Roster

Bold denotes player on the roster on the official NFL roster at the end of 1945 season.[1]

Name Position Height Weight 1945 Games 1945 Starts Years in NFL University Notes
Graham Armstrong Tackle 6'2" 215 1 0 2 John Carroll
Jim Benton End 6'3" 195 9 5 7 Arkansas
David Bernard Fullback 5'10" 197 7 0 2 Mississippi
Gil Bouley Tackle 6'2" 233 6 6 1 Boston College
Thomas Colella Halfback 5'11-1/2" 185 10 1 4 Canisius
Bob DeLauer Center 6'1" 213 2 2 1 USA
Roger Eason Tackle 6'2" 220 2 0 1 Oklahoma
Fred Gehrke Halfback 5'11" 190 10 7 2 Utah
James Gillette Halfback 6'1-1/2" 185 10 7 3 Virginia
Don Greenwood Fullback 5'11" 191 9 6 1 Illinois
Ray Hamilton End 6'4" 210 9 0 4 Arkansas
Roger Harding Center 6'2" 195 6 0 1 Cal
Howard Hickey End 6'2" 195 8 2 2 Arkansas
Jack Jacobs Quarterback 6'1" 180 2 1 2 Oklahoma
Harvey Jones Halfback 6'0" 175 9 2 2 Baylor
George Koch Halfback 6'1" 200 5 0 1 St. Mary's of Texas
Floyd Konetsky End 6'1" 195 10 3 2 University of Miami
William Lazetich Guard 6'1-1/2" 195 10 7 1 Montana
Leslie Lear Guard 5'11" 223 9 1 2 Manitoba University
Butch Levy Tackle 6'0" 260 7 1 1 Minnesota
Elvin Liles Guard 5'9-1/2" 195 8 0 3 Oklahoma A&M Started season with Detroit Lions.
Riley Matheson Guard 6'2" 210 10 10 7 Texas Mines
Arthur Morgenthal Guard 5'11" 215 10 2 1 Notre Dame
Raymond Monaco Guard 5'10-1/2" 215 1 0 3 Holy Cross
Rudy Mucha Guard 6'1-1/2" 246 3 0 2 Washington Ended season with Chicago Bears.
Steve Nemeth Quarterback 5'10" 172 9 3 1 Notre Dame
George Phillips Quarterback 6'3-1/2" 215 1 0 1 UCLA
Steve Pritko End 6'2" 210 10 10 3 Villanova
Albie Reisz Quarterback 5'9" 170 10 0 2 Southeastern
William Reith Center 5'11-1/2" 203 1 0 3 Carnegie Tech
Ralph Ruthstrom Fullback 6'4" 208 6 2 1 Southern Methodist
Mike Scarry Center 5'11" 220 10 10 2 Waynesburg University
Eberle Schultz Tackle 6'4" 245 10 10 5 Oregon State
Bob Shaw End 6'3" 229 5 0 1 Ohio State
Rudy Sikich Tackle 6'1" 219 6 2 1 Minnesota
Bob Waterfield Quarterback 6'1" 191 10 6 1 UCLA 1945 NFL Most Valuable Player
Pat West Fullback 6'1" 204 10 7 1 USC
Joe Winkler Center 6'1" 200 8 0 1 Purdue
James Worden Halfback 5'10" 180 5 5 1 Waynesburg
Walter Zirinsky Halfback 5'11-1/2" 187 5 0 1 Lafayette University

Awards and records
  • Adam Walsh, Coach of the Year
  • Bob Waterfield, League Most Valuable Player
  • Bob Waterfield, NFL leader, Touchdowns (14 – tied)[2]

Footnotes
  1. George Strickler (ed.), The National Football League Record and Rules Manual, 1946. New York: National Football League, 1946; pg. 110.
  2. Jack Cavanaugh, Giants Among Men. New York: Random House, 2008, pg. 57
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