The 1945 season remains the most memorable season of the Cleveland era. The Rams began the offseason by starting an innovative trend in the NFL when they became the first team in NFL history to use a full-time college football scout in Eddie Kotal.
The team endured a busy offseason as World War II neared its end. Help was still needed overseas, and head coach Aldo Donelli decided to enlist in the war. General manager Chile Walsh appointed his brother Adam Walsh as the team’s new head coach.
Chile didn’t hire his brother as a family favor. Adam had quite an impressive resume as a player, and Chile hoped that his brother’s experience would translate as a coach. Adam was considered to be one the best collegiate centers of all time and was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame. He had the challenging task of improving a team that was still coming together from the previous season. As it turned out, Adam Walsh was the right man for the job.
The Rams opened the 1945 season with convincing victories against both Chicago teams at League Park. In Week 1, the Rams beat Cardinals 21-0, followed by a rare victory over the Bears, 17-0.
Their success continued as the team won three of their next four games on the road. The Rams picked up victories over the Green Bay Packers (27-14), Chicago Bears (41-21) and New York Giants (21-17). Their only loss came when they took on the Eagles in Philadelphia. It was a close game until the fourth quarter when the Eagles took a commanding lead and won 28-14.
The Rams beat the remaining teams on their schedule, including victories over the Green Bay Packers (20-7) and the Chicago Cardinals (35-21). Much of the credit to the Rams success was due to their offense.
Former UCLA quarterback Bob Waterfield emerged as a star during the 1945 season. He was known as a T-formation quarterback, which meant that he was often used with as many as three running backs in the backfield in an attempt to confuse defenders.
Waterfield had a knack for making his teammates better, including the revival of Jim Benton’s Hall-of-Fame career. This was displayed on Nov. 22 when Waterfield threw for 329 yards in a 28-21 victory over the Detroit Lions. Benton served as Waterfield’s top target as he caught 10 passes for an NFL-record 303 yards. Benton’s record stood until the Rams’ Flipper Anderson broke it in 1989.
The Rams finished first in the NFL West Division with a 9-1 record which advanced them to the NFL Championship game against the Washington Redskins. It was a closely contested game throughout, but the Rams held on for the 15-14 victory. This marked the Rams’ only championship in Cleveland.
Season Notes
– The 1945 NFL Draft is considered to be one of the more successful drafts in team history because the team managed to pick up two future Hall of Famers: WR Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch (5th overall) from the University of Michigan and WR Tom Fears (103rd overall) from UCLA.
– The Rams held training camp at Bowling Green State University.
– The team was ranked third in the league in both points allowed and scoring, but that doesn’t really tell the story. The Rams’ defense may have allowed more than its fair share of points, but they still dominated their opponents by a wide margin. The team finished with a scoring differential of 108 points.
– The Rams had a few players named to the all-pro team, including Waterfield, Benton and guard Riley Matheson.
| 1945 Cleveland Rams | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | Sunday, Sept. 30 | Chicago Cardinals | W, 21-0 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sunday, Oct. 7 | Chicago Bears | W, 17-0 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Sunday, Oct. 14 | @Green Bay Packers | W, 27-14 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 21 | @Chicago Bears | W, 41-21 | 4-0 |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 28 | @Philadelphia Eagles | L, 14-28 | 4-1 |
| 6 | Sunday, Nov. 4 | @New York Giants | W, 21-17 | 5-1 |
| 7 | Sunday, Nov. 11 | Green Bay Packers | W, 20-7 | 6-1 |
| 8 | Sunday, Nov. 18 | @Chicago Cardinals | W, 35-21 | 7-1 |
| 9 | Thursday, Nov. 22 | @Detroit Lions | W, 28-21 | 8-1 |
| 10 | Sunday, Dec. 2 | @Bos/Brooklyn Yanks | W, 20-7 | 9-1 |
| NFL Playoffs | ||||
| NFL Champ. | Sunday, Dec. 16 | Washington Redskins | W, 15-14 | 10-1 |
| Game | ||||
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
