A Football Memory: Willis Crenshaw “goes” 78 Yards

Even though it was against “my” Cleveland Browns, I have an indelible and great memory of being informed that Willis Crenshaw of the then St. Louis  Cardinals, scored on a 78 yard play (it was a pass from Charlie Johnson) in a past game.

It turned out to be 1965, a year the/my Browns went to the title game, not 1966, which I researched first.

The play occurred in Crenshaw and the St. Louis Cardinals’ rout win at Cleveland, early in the ’65 season.

I believe I was walking around outside and eventually wound up at the door of good man, Kenny Weiner. At that point, I was told by Mr. Weiner (alas we perhaps, incorrectly, called other parents, by their first names, thus he was “Kenny”), that an update, sans studio in those days, informed regarding the Crenshaw play.

Years later, Willis Crenshaw scored the first touchdown at Denver’s Mile High Stadium in 1970. Additionally, Charlie Johnson was the Denver quarterback when the team’s fortunes began to turn for the better as they nearly made the playoffs for the first time in 1973.