Mel Maceau

Maceau in 1946

No. 24

Position:

Center

Personal information

Date of birth:

December 25, 1921

Place of birth:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Date of death:

February 16, 1981 (aged 59)

Place of death:

Bowling Green, Ohio

Height:

6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)

Weight:

203 lb (92 kg)

Career information

High school:

Rufus King High School

College:

Marquette

NFL Draft:

1944 / Round: 141 / Pick: 14
(By the Cleveland Rams)

Career history

Cleveland Browns (1946–1948)

Career highlights and awards

3× AAFC Champion (1946, 1947, 1948)

Career NFL statistics as of 1948

Games played:	37
Player stats at NFL.com

Player stats at PFR

Melvin "Mel" Anthony Maceau (December 25, 1921 – February 16, 1981) was an American football center in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1948.

Maceau grew up in Wisconsin and played football at the collegiate level at Marquette University. He served for two years in World War II between 1943 and 1944 before returning to Marquette at the end of the 1945 season. Maceau then signed with the Browns, where he played as a backup center for three years. Paul Brown, Cleveland's head coach, waived him before the 1949 season, and he retired from professional football. The Browns won the AAFC championship in each of the years Maceau played for the team.

Early life and high school

Maceau grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Rufus King High School.^[1]

College and professional career

After high school, Maceau went to Marquette University in Milwaukee and played on the school's football team in 1941 and 1942 as a center.^[1] The following year, he joined the Army Air Corps during World War II and trained as a cryptographer.^[2] He served for two years in the China Burma India Theater, returning to Maruqette in 1945 to complete his studies.^[1] Maceau also played on Marquette's football team for part of the 1945 season.^[1] He was selected by the Cleveland Rams in the 1944 NFL Draft, but did not sign with the team because of his military service.^[3]

In early 1946, Maceau played for the Omar Bakers in the Classic Basketball League.^[4] Later that year, he joined the Cleveland Browns, a team under formation in the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC), along with three former Marquette teammates, John Harrington, George Groves and Wilfred Kramer.^[5]^[6] Maceau and Harrington made the team.^[5]

Maceau played with the Browns for three seasons between 1946 and 1948; the team won the league championship in each of those years.^[7] Maceau was a third-stringer behind Mike Scarry and Frank Gatski at center, but he got playing time in late 1947 when Scarry was injured, substituting as a defensive lineman.^[8] Before the beginning of the 1949 season, Cleveland coach Paul Brown released Maceau on waivers, allowing other teams to pick him up.^[9] Maceau then retired from professional football.^[10]

References

1 2 3 4 "Mel Maceau Rejoins Hilltop Grid Squad". The Milwaukee Sentinel. November 6, 1945. p. 4. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
↑ Fullerton, Jr., Hugh (May 31, 1943). "Fullerton on Sports". The Telegraph-Herald. Associated Press. p. 7. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
↑ "Mel Maceau NFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
↑ "Bradleys Can Gain Tie for Classic Cage Title". The Milwaukee Journal. February 6, 1946. p. 2. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
1 2 Piascik 2007, p. 45.
↑ "Harrington Is Arrival in Brown Camp". Cleveland Plain Dealer. August 3, 1946. p. 14. Harrington had a reunion here with three of his old Marquette teammates, Mel Maceau, George Groves and Wilfred Kramer.
↑ Piascik 2007, pp. 64, 81, 121.
↑ Sauerbrei, Harold (November 6, 1947). "Browns Unveil Two Able Subs for Scarry". Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 24. Coach Paul Brown has had one of those pleasant surprises with the performances of Frank Gatski and Mel Maceau at the pivot position. Gatski has been handling the offensive duties and Maceau has worked defensively ever since Scarry's injury.
↑ "Browns To Begin Drills Wednesday". Toledo Blade. July 25, 1949. p. 18. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
↑ "Browns' Grid Vets Fight For '49 Jobs". Cleveland Plain Dealer. July 24, 1949. p. 5B. With Mel Maceau definitely retired from football, the only other center will be Dwight Follin of Kent State.

Bibliography

Piascik, Andy (2007). The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58979-571-6.

External links

Mel Maceau at Pro-Football-Reference.com

Cleveland Rams 1944 NFL Draft selections

Tony Butkovich Gil Bouley Bob Waterfield Al Akins George Cheverko Stan Stasica Fred Boensch Bob Shaw Joe Andreico Pat Filley Bob Erickson Mel Maceau Frank Hubbell John Augirre Aubrey Clayton Ziggy Zamlynski Bob McBride Joe Yackanich John Creevey David Paul Jones Jim Pharr Joe Warlick Bert Gianelli Charley Kuhn Jim Smith Ray Donelli John Hughes Dick McPhee Jim McLeod Stan Kudlacz

Draft years 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Cleveland Browns 1946 AAFC champions (inaugural season roster)

20 Mike Scarry 22 Frank Gatski 24 Mel Maceau 30 Bill Willis 32 Lin Houston 34 George Cheroke 36 Ed Ulinski 38 Bob Kolesar 39 Alex Kapter 40 Jim Daniell 42 Chet Adams 44 Lou Rymkus 46 Lou Groza 48 Ernie Blandin 50 John Yonakor 52 George Young 54 John Rokisky 55 John Harrington 56 Dante Lavelli 58 Mac Speedie 59 Al Coppage 60 Otto Graham 62 Cliff Lewis 64 Bud Schwenk 66 Lou Saban 70 Gene Fekete 74 Gaylon Smith 76 Marion Motley 80 Al Akins 82 Bill Lund 84 Ray Terrell 85 Don Greenwood 88 Bob Steuber 90 Edgar Jones 92 Tom Colella 99 Fred Evans

Head coach: Paul Brown

Assistant coaches: John Brickels Blanton Collier Red Conkright Fritz Heisler Creighton Miller Bob Voigts

Cleveland Browns 1947 AAFC champions

20 Mike Scarry 22 Frank Gatski 24 Mel Maceau 30 Bill Willis 32 Lin Houston 34 Bob Gaudio 36 Ed Ulinski 38 Weldon Humble 39 Alex Kapter 42 Chet Adams 44 Lou Rymkus 45 Roman Piskor 46 Lou Groza 48 Ernie Blandin 49 Lenny Simonetti 50 John Yonakor 52 George Young 53 Marshall Shurnas 56 Dante Lavelli 58 Mac Speedie 59 Horace Gillom 60 Otto Graham 62 Cliff Lewis 66 Ermal Allen 70 Spiro Dellerba 72 Lou Saban 74 Tony Adamle 76 Marion Motley 80 Bob Cowan 82 Bill Lund 84 Ray Terrell 85 Don Greenwood 86 Lew Mayne 90 Edgar Jones 92 Tommy Colella 94 Jim Dewar 99 Bill Boedeker

Head coach: Paul Brown

Assistant coaches: John Brickels Blanton Collier Bill Edwards Dick Gallagher Fritz Heisler

Cleveland Browns 1948 AAFC champions

22 Frank Gatski 24 Mel Maceau 30 Bill Willis 32 Lin Houston 34 Bob Gaudio 35 Alex Agase 36 Ed Ulinski 38 Weldon Humble 42 Chet Adams 44 Lou Rymkus 45 Ben Pucci 46 Lou Groza 48 Chubby Grigg 49 Lenny Simonetti 50 John Yonakor 52 George Young 53 Frank Kosikowski 56 Dante Lavelli 58 Mac Speedie 59 Horace Gillom 60 Otto Graham 62 Cliff Lewis 64 George Terlep 70 Ollie Cline 72 Lou Saban 74 Tony Adamle 76 Marion Motley 80 Bob Cowan 82 Tommy James 85 Ara Parseghian 90 Edgar Jones 92 Tommy Colella 94 Dean Sensanbaugher 96 Dub Jones 99 Bill Boedeker

Head coach: Paul Brown

Assistant coaches: John Brickels Blanton Collier Bill Edwards Dick Gallagher Fritz Heisler

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