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The University of Utah Athletics
Former Utah multi-sport standout Mac Speedie part of Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2020
1/15/2020 12:18 PM | Football
Speedie one of 15 members of PFHOF’s Centennial Slate announced Wednesday
CANTON, Ohio — Former Utah football All-American Mac Speedie is one of 15 members of the Centennial Slate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020, announced today on NFL Network.
Speedie, who lettered at Utah from 1939-41 and also competed in track and field and basketball, joins All-America halfback Larry Wilson (1957-59) as Utah's two Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees. A four-time Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist who passed away at the age of 73 in 1993, Speedie is a member of the Utah Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 1972) and Utah's Crimson Club Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 1986).
The 2020 class consists of 10 Seniors (players who last played more than 25 years ago), three Contributors (an individual other than a player or coach) and two coaches. The 2020 Class was elected by a special Blue-Ribbon Panel during a meeting at the Hall of Fame last week, marking the first time that a group of enshrines was selected during a meeting held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, to coincide with the NFL's 100th season.
Speedie, a native of Odell, Ill., who was raised in Salt Lake City, graduated from South High School. At Utah he earned all-conference honors for three straight seasons and All-America honorable mention in his final football season. In track and field he set or tied conference records in the low and high hurdles. Speedie was drafted by the Detroit Lions as the No. 135 pick overall in 1942, but enlisted in the Army and served in World War II before joining the Cleveland Browns for their first season in the All-American Football Conference.
Speedie played with the Browns from 1946-52, during which time the Browns went 83-13-3 and won four AAFC Championships, an NFL Championship, and twice were the NFL runner-up. After his stint with the Browns, Speedie went on to spend four seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the B.C. Lions.
He was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's all-1940s team and was honored as a Browns Legend in 2002. Speedie completed his career with 349 receptions for 5,602 yards and 33 touchdowns. Speedie was selected to six All-Pro teams and was a part of five total championships (four in the AAFC, one in the NFL). He led the AAFC in receptions for four seasons and in receiving yards twice, also setting virtually every major receiving record in the AAFC's four-year stint.
Following his playing career Speedie embarked on a successful coaching and scouting career. He was assistant coach for the Houston Oilers in the first year of the American Football League in 1960, and in 1962 joined the Denver Broncos coaching staff. He served as an assistant coach from 1962-64 and as head coach and general manager for a portion of the 1964 season through the middle of the 1966 season. He compiled a record of 6-19-1 as head coach before transitioning into a scouting role that he would fulfill until retirement in 1982.
What is most remarkable about Speedie's accomplishments is the tremendous adversity he overcame in his childhood to become an accomplished athlete. Speedie's account of his childhood battle with a bone deficiency disease that required him to wear leg braces for four years is outlined in this insightful piece found on profootballresearchers.com.
Speedie, who lettered at Utah from 1939-41 and also competed in track and field and basketball, joins All-America halfback Larry Wilson (1957-59) as Utah's two Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees. A four-time Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist who passed away at the age of 73 in 1993, Speedie is a member of the Utah Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 1972) and Utah's Crimson Club Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 1986).
The 2020 class consists of 10 Seniors (players who last played more than 25 years ago), three Contributors (an individual other than a player or coach) and two coaches. The 2020 Class was elected by a special Blue-Ribbon Panel during a meeting at the Hall of Fame last week, marking the first time that a group of enshrines was selected during a meeting held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, to coincide with the NFL's 100th season.
Speedie, a native of Odell, Ill., who was raised in Salt Lake City, graduated from South High School. At Utah he earned all-conference honors for three straight seasons and All-America honorable mention in his final football season. In track and field he set or tied conference records in the low and high hurdles. Speedie was drafted by the Detroit Lions as the No. 135 pick overall in 1942, but enlisted in the Army and served in World War II before joining the Cleveland Browns for their first season in the All-American Football Conference.
Speedie played with the Browns from 1946-52, during which time the Browns went 83-13-3 and won four AAFC Championships, an NFL Championship, and twice were the NFL runner-up. After his stint with the Browns, Speedie went on to spend four seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the B.C. Lions.
He was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's all-1940s team and was honored as a Browns Legend in 2002. Speedie completed his career with 349 receptions for 5,602 yards and 33 touchdowns. Speedie was selected to six All-Pro teams and was a part of five total championships (four in the AAFC, one in the NFL). He led the AAFC in receptions for four seasons and in receiving yards twice, also setting virtually every major receiving record in the AAFC's four-year stint.
Following his playing career Speedie embarked on a successful coaching and scouting career. He was assistant coach for the Houston Oilers in the first year of the American Football League in 1960, and in 1962 joined the Denver Broncos coaching staff. He served as an assistant coach from 1962-64 and as head coach and general manager for a portion of the 1964 season through the middle of the 1966 season. He compiled a record of 6-19-1 as head coach before transitioning into a scouting role that he would fulfill until retirement in 1982.
What is most remarkable about Speedie's accomplishments is the tremendous adversity he overcame in his childhood to become an accomplished athlete. Speedie's account of his childhood battle with a bone deficiency disease that required him to wear leg braces for four years is outlined in this insightful piece found on profootballresearchers.com.
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