1 00:00:01,735 --> 00:00:04,437 GUEST: My grandfather gave it to me back in, like, 2 00:00:04,437 --> 00:00:10,510 around 1955, 1956. I think the cool thing about it is, is it's, it's white 3 00:00:10,510 --> 00:00:13,947 and it was used in the NFL for night games back in the early '50s for about six years, I think. 4 00:00:13,947 --> 00:00:14,814 APPRAISER: Mm-hmm. 5 00:00:14,814 --> 00:00:16,483 GUEST: But the other thing is, it's autographed by Otto Graham. 6 00:00:16,483 --> 00:00:19,285 APPRAISER: Let's look at that panel right there. 7 00:00:19,285 --> 00:00:21,654 GUEST: Yeah. It's a little faded. My grand, grandfather's name was True. "To True, 8 00:00:21,654 --> 00:00:24,657 best wishes to a swell guy, Otto Graham." 9 00:00:24,657 --> 00:00:27,694 APPRAISER: Nice, so how did they know one another? 10 00:00:27,694 --> 00:00:30,630 GUEST: I'm not sure. I was only, I was only, like, nine or ten years old. 11 00:00:30,630 --> 00:00:36,069 My grandfather was a very charismatic guy and he was a huge sports fan. And I knew even 12 00:00:36,069 --> 00:00:39,239 back then there was some connection with the Browns, I'm... I'm still not sure what it was, 13 00:00:39,239 --> 00:00:43,476 but he referred to Paul Brown and Otto Graham as Paul and Otto. My impression was that 14 00:00:43,476 --> 00:00:47,113 he did know them on a first-name basis, and, and that would be typical for him. 15 00:00:47,113 --> 00:00:50,383 APPRAISER: And a lot of people don't know really how Otto Graham got started. He is 16 00:00:50,383 --> 00:00:52,519 one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. 17 00:00:52,519 --> 00:00:53,486 GUEST: Yeah. 18 00:00:53,486 --> 00:00:56,156 APPRAISER: And in an era where passing was not as prevalent... 19 00:00:56,156 --> 00:00:57,757 GUEST: Yeah. Yeah. 20 00:00:57,757 --> 00:01:02,028 APPRAISER: ...as it is in today's NFL. He came to Paul Brown's attention. Paul Brown, 21 00:01:02,028 --> 00:01:03,263 one of the legendary coaches... 22 00:01:03,263 --> 00:01:04,164 GUEST: Yeah. 23 00:01:04,164 --> 00:01:05,298 APPRAISER: ...and the Cleveland Browns were named after him. 24 00:01:05,298 --> 00:01:07,200 GUEST: Yeah. 25 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,336 APPRAISER: And Paul recruited him for the All-American Football Conference and paid him 26 00:01:12,939 --> 00:01:16,843 $7,500-- which at the time, in 1946, is the equivalent of, like, $100,000 today... 27 00:01:16,843 --> 00:01:17,477 GUEST: Yeah. Yeah. 28 00:01:17,477 --> 00:01:19,746 APPRAISER: ...to be his quarterback. 29 00:01:19,746 --> 00:01:22,282 And of course, O, Graham did not disappoint. Four championships. 30 00:01:22,282 --> 00:01:23,750 GUEST: Yup. 31 00:01:23,750 --> 00:01:27,087 APPRAISER: And then they were able to get into the NFL in 1950... 32 00:01:27,087 --> 00:01:28,154 GUEST: Yeah. APPRAISER: ...and three more championships. 33 00:01:28,154 --> 00:01:29,923 GUEST: Yeah. 34 00:01:29,923 --> 00:01:32,692 APPRAISER: Now, interestingly enough, you know, we're talking about two things: we're 35 00:01:32,692 --> 00:01:36,229 talking about Otto Graham, but we're also talking about this football and what makes it special. 36 00:01:36,229 --> 00:01:37,664 GUEST: Yeah. APPRAISER: It's white! 37 00:01:37,664 --> 00:01:41,768 White footballs were first produced for night games in the NFL. 38 00:01:41,768 --> 00:01:44,104 GUEST: Yeah. APPRAISER: The first night game was November 6, 39 00:01:44,104 --> 00:01:50,343 1929. It was the Chicago Cardinals, before they made it to St. Louis and now Arizona, 40 00:01:50,343 --> 00:01:52,712 and it was the Providence Steamroller, and that's when they used the white ball for the first time. 41 00:01:52,712 --> 00:01:53,913 GUEST: Oh, interesting. 42 00:01:53,913 --> 00:01:55,348 APPRAISER: Now, do you know what Otto Graham thought of the white football? 43 00:01:55,348 --> 00:01:57,517 GUEST: No, I don't. 44 00:01:57,517 --> 00:02:01,154 APPRAISER: He hated it! (both laughing) He said they were slippery in his hands. 45 00:02:01,154 --> 00:02:02,889 GUEST: Oh... 46 00:02:02,889 --> 00:02:07,160 APPRAISER: He couldn't get as good a grip to throw them. Graham retired after the 1955 season. 47 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,228 GUEST: Yeah. 48 00:02:08,228 --> 00:02:11,064 APPRAISER: He actually wanted to retire after '54. He wanted 49 00:02:11,064 --> 00:02:13,366 to go out in that first blaze of glory with the la, his last NFL championship. 50 00:02:13,366 --> 00:02:14,734 GUEST: Yeah. 51 00:02:14,734 --> 00:02:18,171 APPRAISER: But Paul Brown lured Otto back for another year... 52 00:02:18,171 --> 00:02:20,974 GUEST: Ah. APPRAISER: ...for the equivalent of over $200,000. 53 00:02:20,974 --> 00:02:23,409 Wow. He was the highest-paid player in the NFL, and deservedly so. 54 00:02:23,409 --> 00:02:24,210 GUEST: Yeah. Yeah. 55 00:02:24,210 --> 00:02:27,046 APPRAISER: And lead them to the final championship in 1955. 56 00:02:27,046 --> 00:02:27,780 GUEST: Yeah, yep. 57 00:02:27,780 --> 00:02:28,781 APPRAISER: Have you had it appraised? 58 00:02:28,781 --> 00:02:31,117 GUEST: No. APPRAISER: What do you think it's worth? 59 00:02:31,117 --> 00:02:35,021 GUEST: I know it's somewhat rare. I mean, I would think somewhere between $500, $1,000. 60 00:02:35,021 --> 00:02:35,255 APPRAISER: $500,000? (laughing) 61 00:02:37,390 --> 00:02:39,993 GUEST: No, no, $500 and $1,000. (laughing) 62 00:02:39,993 --> 00:02:40,460 APPRAISER: And up to $1,000. 63 00:02:40,460 --> 00:02:41,461 GUEST: Yeah, yeah. 64 00:02:41,461 --> 00:02:42,762 APPRAISER: This is a rare football. 65 00:02:42,762 --> 00:02:44,297 GUEST: Yeah. 66 00:02:44,297 --> 00:02:49,369 APPRAISER: I, I'm, I don't know if, if one, another one actually exists that's, that's signed 67 00:02:49,369 --> 00:02:52,338 by Otto Graham. The other thing about this football is, we don't know the exact provenance. 68 00:02:52,338 --> 00:02:53,973 GUEST: No. 69 00:02:53,973 --> 00:02:58,578 APPRAISER: We're assuming that it was probably used or issued for a game, at the very least. 70 00:02:58,578 --> 00:03:00,480 And that's what I'm going to value it... GUEST: My grandfather kind of implied 71 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,315 that it was, but no proof. 72 00:03:02,315 --> 00:03:04,117 APPRAISER: Now, it's not a great signature. 73 00:03:04,117 --> 00:03:05,218 GUEST: Sure. APPRAISER: Definitely has, has aged. 74 00:03:05,218 --> 00:03:06,553 GUEST: Yeah. 75 00:03:06,553 --> 00:03:09,155 APPRAISER: And Otto Graham signatures are not rare, because he passed away in 2003. 76 00:03:09,155 --> 00:03:10,490 GUEST: Yeah. 77 00:03:10,490 --> 00:03:15,061 APPRAISER: But he signed this contemporaneous with his career... 78 00:03:15,061 --> 00:03:17,463 GUEST: Yeah. APPRAISER: ...which makes this, again, 79 00:03:17,463 --> 00:03:21,601 rare and desirable, even though it's not in great condition. If I were putting an auction 80 00:03:21,601 --> 00:03:22,468 estimate on it... GUEST: Uh-huh. 81 00:03:22,468 --> 00:03:24,103 APPRAISER: ...I'd put $2,500 to $3,000. 82 00:03:24,103 --> 00:03:28,875 GUEST: Okay. Okay. That's great. 83 00:03:28,875 --> 00:03:31,411 APPRAISER: To insure it, I'd insure it for at least $5,000. 84 00:03:31,411 --> 00:03:44,490 GUEST: Okay. That's good. That's great.