December 17th, 2014 Holiday Catalog Auction (#43)

Lot #476:

6/15/1959 Lou Groza Cleveland Browns Signed Player Contract with Paul Brown & Bert Bell (JSA)

Player contract for 1974 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Lou Groza. The contract dated, “June 15, 1959” states, “…the Cleveland Browns, Inc. agree to pay Louis R. Groza fifty dollars ($50.00) per pre-season game as long as he is a member of the squad. – It is also agreed that Louis R. Groza will be paid two thousand dollars ($2,000) if the team owning his contractual rights gets into the Championship Game of 1959.” Louis Groza’s signature is done in pen and in our opinion, rates a 9 overall. Also featured on the contract are the signatures of the following witnesses: Hall of Famer Bert Bell (then-NFL Commissioner, a tough signature that was penned four months prior to his death), Hall of Famer Paul Brown (Cleveland Browns head coach 1946-1962), Daria Torchik, and Mercedes O'Toole. The witness signatures are all done in black ink except for the Bell signature which was done in blue ink. The signatures, in our opinion, rate a 7 overall with the Brown being a strong 8. Accompanied by an LOA from JSA for the signatures.

Please note that a correction and/or update has been made to this lot and the printed catalog differs from what is online.