View source for Mac Speedie

{{Short description|American football player (1920–1993)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name           = Mac Speedie
| image          = Mac Speedie, American football end, on a 1950 football card.jpg
| image_size     =
| alt            = 
| caption        = Speedie on a 1950 Bowman football card
| number         = 58, 88, 75, 70
| position       = [[End (gridiron football)|End]]
| birth_date     = {{birth date|1920|1|12|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Odell, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date     = {{death date and age|1993|3|5|1920|1|12|mf=y}}
| death_place    = [[Laguna Hills, California]], U.S.
| height_ft      = 6
| height_in      = 3
| weight_lb      = 203
| high_school    = [[South High School (Utah)|South]] <br> ([[Salt Lake City, Utah]])
| college        = [[Utah Utes football|Utah]]
| draftyear      = 1942
| draftround     = 15
| draftpick      = 135
| pastteams      =
* [[Cleveland Browns]] ([[1946 AAFC season|1946]]–{{NFL Year|1952}})
* [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] ([[1953 in Canadian football|1953]]–[[1954 in Canadian football|1954]])
* [[BC Lions]] ([[1955 in Canadian football|1955]])
| pastcoaching   =
* [[Houston Oilers]] ([[1960 American Football League season|1960]]–[[1961 American Football League season|1961]]) <br> Ends coach
* [[Denver Broncos]] ([[1964 American Football League season|1964]]–[[1966 American Football League season|1966]]) <br> Head coach
| highlights     = ; As a player
* [[List of NFL champions (1920–1969)|NFL champion]] ([[1950 NFL Championship Game|1950]])
* 4× [[All-America Football Conference|AAFC]] champion (1946–1949)
* 3× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1947 All-Pro Team|1947]]–[[1949 All-Pro Team|1949]])
* 2× Second-team All-Pro ([[1950 All-Pro Team|1950]], [[1952 All-Pro Team|1952]])
* 2× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1951 Pro Bowl|1950]], [[1953 Pro Bowl|1952]])
* 3× [[List of AAFC annual statistics leaders#Receptions|AAFC receptions leader]] (1947–1949)
* [[List of AAFC annual statistics leaders#Receiving yards|AAFC receiving yards leader]] (1947, 1949)
* [[NFL 1940s All-Decade Team]]
* [[Cleveland Browns#Ring of Honor|Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor]]
; As a coach
* [[American Football League playoffs|AFL champion]] ([[1960 American Football League Championship Game|1960]])
; AAFC record
* Most receiving yards in a season: 1,146 (1947)
| statleague     = AAFC/NFL
| statlabel1     = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue1     = 349
| statlabel2     = Receiving yards
| statvalue2     = 5,602
| statlabel3     = Receiving [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue3     = 33
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|6|19|1|record=y}}
| pfr            = SpeeMa00
| pfrcoach       = SpeeMa0
| HOF            = mac-speedie 
}}

'''Mac Curtis Speedie''' (January 12, 1920 – March 5, 1993) was an American professional [[American football|football]] [[End (gridiron football)|end]] who played for the [[Cleveland Browns]] in the [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC) and the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for seven years before joining the [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] in Canada. He later served for two years as head coach of the [[American Football League]]'s [[Denver Broncos]]. A tall and quick runner whose awkward gait helped him deceive defenders and get open, Speedie led his league in receptions four times during his career and was selected as a first-team [[All-Pro]] six times. His career average of 800 yards per season was not surpassed until two decades after his retirement, and his per-game average of 50 yards went unequalled for 20 years after he left the game.

Speedie grew up in Utah, where he overcame [[Legg–Calvé–Perthes syndrome|Perthes Disease]] to become a standout as a hurdler on his high school track team and a halfback on the football team. He attended the [[University of Utah]], where he continued to excel at track and football before entering the military in 1942 during World War II. He spent four years in the service before joining the Browns in 1946, where he played as an end opposite quarterback [[Otto Graham]], fullback [[Marion Motley]] and fellow receiver [[Dante Lavelli]]. The Browns, a new team in the AAFC, won the league championship every year between 1946 and 1949. The Browns merged into the NFL in 1950 after the AAFC disbanded, and Speedie continued to succeed as the team won another league championship. After two more years with the Browns, however, Speedie left the team for the [[Western Interprovincial Football Union]] (WIFU) amid a conflict with [[Paul Brown]], Cleveland's head coach. He played two full seasons in the WIFU and one game in a third season before leaving professional football.

Speedie was hired in 1960 as an end coach for the [[Houston Oilers]] in the [[American Football League]] (AFL). The Oilers won the AFL championship that year, but Speedie left in 1961 after the head coach, former teammate [[Lou Rymkus]], was fired. He then took a job as an assistant for the AFL's [[Denver Broncos]] and was promoted to head coach in 1964. His two-year run with the team was unsuccessful, however. After his resignation in 1966, Speedie became a scout for the Broncos, a job he kept until his retirement in 1982. On January 15, 2020, Speedie was announced to have been selected to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] class of 2020.

==Early life==

Speedie was born in [[Odell, Illinois]], but attended high school in [[Utah]].<ref name="Speedie PFR stats">{{cite web|title=Mac Speedie NFL Football Statistics |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SpeeMa00.htm |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=August 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020144626/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SpeeMa00.htm |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=22}} As a child he had [[Legg–Calvé–Perthes syndrome|Perthes Disease]], a condition where growth or loss of bone mass in the hip joint affects blood supply to the area.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=22}} He had to wear a brace for four years to correct the condition; one of his legs came out shorter than the other.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=22}} Despite his struggle with the disease, Speedie became a star athlete at [[South High School (Salt Lake City)|South High School]] in [[Salt Lake City]], playing football, basketball and track.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=22}} He was the [[center (basketball)|center]] on the school's basketball team and was named to a list of Salt Lake's best athletes as a [[halfback (American football)|halfback]] on the football team.<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" /> Getting out of the braces "was like turning a frisky colt out to pasture after a year in a box stall", Speedie once said. "I had such a backlog of athletic ambition that I wanted to play football, basketball, and track all at one time."<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie">{{cite web|last=Braunwart |first=Bob |title=BIG MAC OF THE BROWNS' ATTACK |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-01-082.pdf |publisher=Pro Football Researchers |access-date=August 14, 2012 |author2=Bob Carroll |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218232118/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-01-082.pdf |archive-date=December 18, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><!--Can't find a reliable source for this: Speedie tied a national high school record with a run in the 120-meter high hurdles of 14.7 seconds.-->

==College and military career==

After graduating from high school, Speedie attended the [[University of Utah]], where he majored in [[geology]] and continued to excel as an athlete.<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" /> He played football and basketball and was a top college hurdler in track.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=22}} As an [[Wide receiver|end]] on the [[Utah Utes football|Utah Redskins football]] team, he won all-conference honors in 1939, 1940 and 1941. In track, he finished second in a high hurdles event where the winner, [[Rice University]]'s Fred Wolcott, set an [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] record.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=22}}<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" />

Like many college athletes, Speedie joined the military as America's involvement in World War II intensified following the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] at the end of 1941. He entered the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] after graduating in 1942.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=22}}<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" /> Speedie was stationed at [[Francis E. Warren Air Force Base|Fort Warren]] in [[Wyoming]] and played for the base's Broncos military team.<ref name="Speedie bio, PD">{{cite news|last=Sauerbrei|first=Harold|title=Speedie, Lured By Brown's Fame, Is Happy He Was Slow On Other Offers|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=September 7, 1949|page=24}}</ref><ref name="Broncos as Fort Warren team">{{cite news|title=Broncos Top Soldier Team|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19440323&id=evIvAAAAIBAJ&pg=2667,3799937|access-date=August 17, 2012|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=March 23, 1944|agency=United Press International|location=Denver|page=15}}</ref>

==Professional career==

===Cleveland Browns===

Speedie was drafted by the [[National Football League]]'s [[Detroit Lions]] in the late rounds of the [[1942 NFL draft|1942 draft]].<ref name="Speedie bio, PD" /> Fred Mandel, the owner of the Lions, visited him at Fort Warren and offered a contract worth $2,800 a year. Speedie wanted to sign immediately, but Mandel preferred to wait until after the war.<ref name="Speedie bio, PD" /> By the time the war drew to a close in 1945, however, Speedie was considering signing with the [[Chicago Rockets]], a team in the new [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC). He was pursued by the Rockets after playing well against a team at [[Marine Corps Air Station El Toro]] from which many of the Rockets' players were drawn.<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" /><ref name="Speedie bio, PD" /> Speedie was also spotted by [[Paul Brown]], who had been the head coach of a military team at [[Great Lakes Naval Station]] that played against the Broncos.<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" /> Brown, who was starting a new AAFC team called the [[Cleveland Browns]], sent a friend named Jackie Ranen to sign Speedie for $7,000 in 1946.<ref name="Speedie bio, PD" /><ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT">{{cite news|last=Foster |first=Chris |title=Speedie Turns a Home Into a Hall |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-12-sp-3172-story.html |access-date=August 17, 2012 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 12, 1991 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914211535/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-12/sports/sp-3172_1_cleveland-brown |archive-date=September 14, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

With the Browns, Speedie quickly became an important part of an offensive attack that featured quarterback [[Otto Graham]], fullback [[Marion Motley]] and fellow receiver [[Dante Lavelli]]. He was enthusiastic, energetic and fast, posing a challenge for defenders assigned to cover him.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=23}} He had an unusual running style because of his bout with Perthes Disease, which Lavelli said "gave him an odd gait in which he could fake plays without even trying".{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=23}} Speedie caught the first touchdown in the AAFC's existence in the Browns' opening game against the [[Miami Seahawks]], a 44–0 win.<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" />{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=49}} The Browns ended the regular season with a 12–2 record, winning the AAFC West division and earning a spot in the league championship.<ref name="Browns 1946 stats">{{cite web|title=1946 Cleveland Browns Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1946.htm |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=August 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103231019/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1946.htm |archive-date=November 3, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the week before the championship game against the [[New York Yankees (AAFC)|New York Yankees]], Speedie and two teammates, [[Lou Rymkus]] and team captain [[Jim Daniell]] were arrested after an argument with Cleveland police.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=61}} Daniell was driving a car with Rymkus and Speedie as passengers as they waited for Speedie's wife to return on a flight from Utah.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=60}} A police car was blocking Daniell's way, and he honked the horn, leading to the confrontation and arrests.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=62}} Brown kicked Daniell off of the team, but Speedie and Rymkus were not punished by the team; they were, however, held in custody for several hours and charged with creating a disturbance.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=61}}

The Browns went on to win the championship game in 1946, helped by Speedie's six catches for 71 yards.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=64–65}} Speedie led the league in yards per catch, with 23.5, and scored seven touchdowns.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=65}} After the season, he was named along with several teammates to the AAFC's all-league team.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=66}}

The 1947 season was another strong one for Speedie. In a game against the [[Buffalo Bills (AAFC)|Buffalo Bills]], he tied a professional football record by catching a throw from Graham and running 99 yards for a touchdown.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=76–77}} He finished the season as the league leader in receptions and receiving yards as the Browns won another championship.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=81–82}} His 67 catches and 1,146 receiving yards, in fact, were the second-best in pro football history after [[Don Hutson]] of the [[Green Bay Packers]], who caught for 1,211 yards in 1940.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=88}} Speedie was named by news outlets as a first-team [[All-Pro]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=82}} Speedie's success in 1947 came as he, Graham and Lavelli gelled as a passing and receiving unit, having studied hours of tape and worked on their technique and coordination.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=90}} Speedie studied how defensive backs moved their feet and tried to break into the open by exploiting mis-steps.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=90}} They experimented with [[screen pass]]es and made modifications to common receiving routes to exploit the weaknesses of defenses.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=90–91}}

The Browns had a perfect season the following year, winning the championship for a third straight time.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=121}} Speedie led the league in receiving and was named an All-Pro again.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=121}} The 1949 season brought another championship and another All-Pro season for Speedie, who led the league in receptions for the third year in a row.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=148}} He had 228 receiving yards in a game against the Yankees, which remains a Browns record.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=138}} [[Tom Landry]], a Yankees cornerback who went on to coach the [[Dallas Cowboys]], was assigned to cover Speedie and called it "the most embarrassing athletic performance of my entire life".{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=138}} The AAFC dissolved after the 1949 season and the Browns, along with two other teams, were absorbed by the more established NFL.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=141}} Speedie was the AAFC's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, with 3,554.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=149}}<ref name="Speedie DBF stats">{{cite web|title=Mac Speedie Past Stats, Statistics, History and Awards |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SPEEDMAC01 |publisher=Databasefootball.com |access-date=August 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009043158/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SPEEDMAC01 |archive-date=October 9, 2012 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

Cleveland's success continued in the NFL in 1950, silencing skeptics who thought the team stood out only because of the poor quality of competition in the AAFC. After beating the two-time defending NFL champion [[Philadelphia Eagles]] in the first game of the season, the Browns advanced to the [[1950 NFL Championship Game|championship game]], where they beat the [[Los Angeles Rams]] 30–28 on a last-second [[Lou Groza]] field goal.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=181}} Speedie had 548 receiving yards during the season and was selected for the NFL's first-ever [[Pro Bowl]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=185}}

The Browns reached the NFL championship game in 1951 and 1952, but lost both times.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=234, 253}} Speedie led the NFL in receiving in 1951 and was named a first-team All Pro, but he did not play in the championship game due to an injury.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=247, 250, 254}} He was selected for the Pro Bowl for a second time in 1952.<ref name="Speedie PFR stats" /> After that season, however, he left the Browns to join the [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] of the [[Western Interprovincial Football Union]] under acrimonious circumstances.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=268}} Speedie had an independent streak that did not sit well with Brown, whose domineering coaching style grated against many of the men who played for him.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=268–269}} "He was one of the ones that Paul Brown picked on quite a bit", recalled former teammate [[Ken Carpenter (American football)|Ken Carpenter]]. "He'd get on Speedie's case for no particular reason."{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=269}} Speedie showed his displeasure by bringing a skunk to training camp in 1952 and calling it "Paul".{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=269}}<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" /> Brown told Speedie he did not think it was very funny, to which Speedie responded that it was a nocturnal animal and was named after [[Paul Revere]].<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" />

The Roughriders offered Speedie double his Browns salary as the Canadian leagues tried to make names for themselves by signing top-level NFL players.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=268}} Paul Brown refused to match the offer, and Speedie, who was making $11,000 per year with the Browns, joined the Canadian team for the 1953 season.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=269}}<ref name="Speedie 1952 salary">{{cite news|title=TD Club to honor ex-Browns' receiver Speedie tomorrow|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=December 10, 1980|page=2F}}</ref> Brown then threatened to sue Speedie for violating his existing contract with the team, saying the Browns had exercised an option to extend the deal after it expired in the summer of 1953.<ref name="Brown to sue Speedie">{{cite news|title=Browns Ponder Speedie's Action|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=July 1, 1953|page=31}}</ref> "This was a case of jumping a contract, pure and simple, as this young man morally and ethically had a contract with us", Brown said at the time.<ref name="Brown to sue Speedie" /> Speedie later said that Brown "told me when I jumped leagues that he was going to get even with me".<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" />

===Western Interprovincial Football Union===

Speedie, by then 33 years old, joined the Roughriders despite the threat of legal action.<ref name="Speedie with Roughriders">{{cite news|title=Riders Roll Up Important Win|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dClgAAAAIBAJ&pg=7103,4029848&dq=mac+speedie+roughriders&hl=en|access-date=August 17, 2012|newspaper=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix|date=September 28, 1953|agency=Canadian Press|location=Regina|page=17}}</ref> Speedie had a league-leading seven touchdowns in 1953, and 576 receiving yards the following season.<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" /> He was sent to the WIFU's [[BC Lions]] in 1955, but played only one game for the club. Speedie hurt his left knee and was declared out for the season.<ref name="Speedie suffers knee injury">{{cite news|last=Melville|first=Tom|title=Riders Capture Aerial Duel|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=axtUAAAAIBAJ&pg=5100,4074368&dq=mac+speedie&hl=en|access-date=August 17, 2012|newspaper=The Leader-Post|date=August 30, 1955|location=Vancouver|page=14}}</ref> He had suffered a hairline leg fracture and underwent surgery on torn ligaments in his knee and ankle. He was expected to scout for the Lions as he recovered.<ref name="Speedie undergoes surgery">{{cite news|last=Richards|first=Jack|title=Blue Bombers Need Win But, Oh, So Do Lions|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Wj9lAAAAIBAJ&pg=4165,349913&dq=mac+speedie&hl=en|access-date=August 17, 2012|newspaper=The Vancouver Sun|date=September 1, 1955|page=24}}</ref> After the injury, Speedie was cut from the Lions' roster and did not play professional football again.<ref name="Speedie PFR stats" /><ref name="Speedie cut by Lions">{{cite news|title=Speedie Fails to Make the Team|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=August 31, 1955|location=Vancouver, B.C.|page=31}}</ref>

At the end of his career, Speedie was one of the most prolific receivers of his era. He averaged more than 800 receiving yards a season during his seven years in the AAFC and NFL, a mark that was not surpassed for 20 years after he left the game.<ref name="Speedie PFR fact sheet">{{cite web|title=Mac Speedie Fact Sheet |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/HOVG/Mac_Speedie_Fact_Sheet.pdf |publisher=Pro Football Researchers |access-date=August 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401053420/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/HOVG/Mac_Speedie_Fact_Sheet.pdf |archive-date=April 1, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His career average of 49.9 receptions per season stood for 25 years.<ref name="Speedie PFR fact sheet" /> He was named to the [[National Football League 1940s All-Decade Team]] and was selected by news outlets as a first-team All-Pro six times.<ref name="Speedie PFR fact sheet" /> The authors of the official NFL encyclopedia named him one of the league's 300 greatest-ever players.<ref name="Speedie PFR fact sheet" />

==Coaching career==

Speedie resurfaced in 1960, when he was named the end coach for the new [[American Football League]]'s [[Houston Oilers]] under former teammate and Oilers head coach [[Lou Rymkus]].<ref name="Speedie with Oilers">{{cite news|last=Heaton|first=Chuck|title=Football Footnotes|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=April 10, 1960|page=9C|quote=Lou Saban is head coach at Boston and Lou Rymkus is the Houston head man. The assistants are Chuck Noll at Los Angeles, Tom Caitlin at Dallas and Mac Speedie at Houston.}}</ref> The Oilers won the AFL championship in 1960, but Rymkus was fired after the team got off to a slow start the following year.<ref name="Rymkus fired">{{cite news|title=Oilers Fire Lou Rymkus|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rv4sAAAAIBAJ&pg=3868,2793889&dq=lou+rymkus&hl=en|access-date=August 8, 2012|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|date=October 15, 1961|agency=Associated Press|location=Houston|page=34}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Team owner [[Bud Adams]] urged Speedie to stay on the staff, but Speedie resigned out of loyalty to Rymkus.<ref name="Speedie quits Houston">{{cite news|title=Speedie Quits as Houston Coach|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=October 18, 1961|agency=Associated Press|location=Houston, Tex.|page=33}}</ref>

The AFL's [[Denver Broncos]] hired Speedie the following year as an end coach.<ref name="Speedie hired by Broncos">{{cite news|last=Pitman|first=Frank|title=Recharged Broncos eye road to top|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZVJeAAAAIBAJ&pg=1858,5954734&dq=mac+speedie&hl=en|access-date=August 18, 2012|newspaper=The Press-Courier|date=August 23, 1962|agency=Associated Press|location=Denver|page=15}}</ref> He served under head coach [[Jack Faulkner]], who replaced [[Frank Filchock]] that season and was voted AFL Coach of the Year for turning the team around and posting a 7–7 record.<ref name="Speedie named Broncos head coach">{{cite news|title=Broncos Replace Faulkner With End Coach Speedie|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5U9SAAAAIBAJ&pg=3615,3307039&dq=mac+speedie&hl=en|access-date=August 18, 2012|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=October 6, 1964|agency=Associated Press|location=Denver|page=3C}}</ref> Faulkner led the team to a 2–11–1 season in 1963, however, and Speedie replaced him the following year as the Broncos went on a 14-game losing streak.<ref name="Speedie named Broncos head coach" />

In Speedie's first game leading the team, the Broncos ended the losing streak with a 33–27 upset victory over the [[Kansas City Chiefs]].<ref name="Broncos win for Speedie">{{cite news|title=Broncos Win For Speedie|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B2YyAAAAIBAJ&pg=2260,3016568&dq=mac+speedie&hl=en|access-date=August 18, 2012|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|date=October 12, 1964|agency=Associated Press|location=Denver|page=13}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Two weeks later, Speedie suspended [[placekicker]] [[Gene Mingo]] and [[defensive back]] [[Willie West]] for "conduct detrimental to the club", reportedly as a result of a late-night party at a hotel.<ref name="Mingo suspension">{{cite news|title=Get Rid Of Mingo|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5HdQAAAAIBAJ&pg=7495,4236496&dq=mingo+suspended&hl=en|access-date=August 18, 2012|newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=October 29, 1964|agency=United Press International|location=Denver, Colo.|page=2}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The team posted a 2–7–1 record under Speedie, and he was signed to a two-year contract after the season.<ref name="Speedie quits Denver">{{cite news|title=Broncos Seek New Wrangler As Speedie Quits|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LcVOAAAAIBAJ&pg=5570,4716855&dq=mac+speedie&hl=en|access-date=August 18, 2012|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=September 19, 1966|agency=Associated Press|location=Denver, Colo.|page=19}}</ref>

In his first full season as the Broncos' coach in 1965, Speedie's team posted a 4–10 record.<ref name="1965 Denver stats">{{cite web|title=1965 Denver Broncos Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/1965.htm |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=August 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015073314/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/1965.htm |archive-date=October 15, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After two losses to begin the 1966 season, Speedie resigned and assistant [[Ray Malavasi]] took over.<ref name="Speedie quits Denver" /> He said the move was in the best interest of the club.<ref name="Speedie quits Denver" /> Speedie had a 6-19-1 record as the Broncos' coach.<ref name="Pro Football Researchers on Speedie" /> He then accepted a scouting position with the organization and was based out of his home in [[Laguna Hills, California]].<ref name="Heaton on Speedie">{{cite news|last=Heaton|first=Chuck|title=Speedie belongs on all-time team|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=November 3, 1979|page=1B}}</ref> He held the post until his retirement in 1982.<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" />

==Later life and death==

Speedie had a brief and cold reunion with Brown in 1977, when the two met at the annual [[East–West Shrine Game]], a college all-star game.<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" /> Speedie introduced himself to Brown, only to be told, "Yes, I know. You're the one who went to Canada."<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" /> Speedie's friends and former teammates lobbied repeatedly for his inclusion in the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]], but Speedie believed that his conflict with Brown was keeping him out even as numerous former teammates, including Otto Graham, Dante Lavelli and Marion Motley were inducted.<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" /><ref name="Speedie friends for HOF">{{cite news|title=Notes off the cuff|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=November 5, 1977|page=3C}}</ref><ref name="Speedie on HOF">{{cite news|last=Heaton|first=Chuck|title=Notes off the cuff|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=December 16, 1980|page=5C}}</ref> He was placed on an old-timers' list of nominees for induction into the hall in the mid-1980s, but ultimately was passed over.<ref name="Speedie on old-timers' list">{{cite news|last=Heaton|first=Chuck|title=Off the cuff|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=June 8, 1985|page=7D}}</ref> "Quite honestly, I think Paul Brown is the reason" for Speedie's exclusion, Graham said in 1991. "Paul wasn't the type of guy you crossed. He would never forget it."<ref name="Speedie on HOF in LAT" />

While he was passed over for professional football's hall of fame during his lifetime, Speedie was inducted into the [[Utah Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1972 and the University of Utah's Crimson Club hall of fame in 1986.<ref name="Speedie in Utah HOF">{{cite web|title=USHOFF |url=http://www.utahsportshalloffame.org/Honorees.html |publisher=Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation |access-date=August 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001001203/http://www.utahsportshalloffame.org/Honorees.html |archive-date=October 1, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Utah Crimson Club HOF page">{{cite web|title=University of Utah Crimson Club |url=http://www.crimsonclub.utah.edu/about-crimson-club/varsity-club/hall-of-fame-inductees |publisher=University of Utah |access-date=October 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920072243/http://www.crimsonclub.utah.edu/about-crimson-club/varsity-club/hall-of-fame-inductees |archive-date=September 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He died in California in 1993.<ref name="Speedie SS death index entry">{{cite web |title=United States Social Security Death Index, Mac C Speedie, 1993 |url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V9PS-4PL |publisher=FamilySearch.com |access-date=August 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605024301/https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V9PS-4PL |archive-date=June 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On January 15, 2020, Speedie was elected to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] Class of 2020.<ref>{{cite news |author=Barry Wilner|title=Mac Speedie among Hall of Fame inductees picked by special centennial panel|url=https://chroniclet.com/news/187779/mac-speedie-among-hall-of-fame-inductees-picked-by-special-centennial-panel-art-modell-left-out/|website=chroniclelet.com |date=January 15, 2020 |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref>

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| style="background:#ffe6bd; width:3em;"|
| Won the [[NFL championship]] or [[AAFC Championship]]
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league
|-
| '''Bold'''
| Career high
|}

===Regular season===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="5"| Receiving
|-
! GP !! GS !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD
|-
! [[1946 AAFC season|1946]] !! style="background:#ffe6bd;"|[[1946 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| '''14''' || 10 || 24 || 564 || '''23.5''' || style="background:#cfecec;"|79 || '''7''' 
|-
! [[1947 AAFC season|1947]] !! style="background:#ffe6bd;"|[[1947 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| '''14''' || 9 || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''67''' || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''1,146''' || 17.1 || style="background:#e0cef2;"|'''99''' || 6 
|-
! [[1948 AAFC season|1948]] !! style="background:#ffe6bd;"|[[1948 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 12 || 11 || style="background:#cfecec;"|58 || 816 || 14.1 || 56 || 4 
|-
! [[1949 AAFC season|1949]] !! style="background:#ffe6bd;"|[[1949 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 12 || 11 || style="background:#cfecec;"|62 || style="background:#cfecec;"|1,028 || 16.6 || – || '''7''' 
|-
! [[1950 NFL season|1950]] !! style="background:#ffe6bd;"|[[1950 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 12 || '''12''' || 42 || 548 || 13.0 || 45 || 1 
|-
! [[1951 NFL season|1951]] !! [[1951 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 10 || 9 || 34 || 589 || 17.3 || 51 || 3 
|-
! [[1952 NFL season|1952]] !! [[1952 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 12 || '''12''' || style="background:#cfecec;"|62 || 911 || 14.7 || 50 || 5 
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SpeeMa00.htm Career] !! 86 !! 74 !! 349 !! 5,602 !! 16.1 !! style="background:#e0cef2;"|99 !! 33 
|}

==References==

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===

{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Piascik|first=Andy|year=2007|title=The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn=978-1-58979-571-6}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://bleacherreport.com/articles/139291-crazy-canton-cuts-mac-speedie Bleacher Report article on Speedie's Hall of Fame credentials]

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