Ex-Rice, NFL QB Ryan dies at 87

Frank Ryan, the quarterback from Rice who led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964, has died. He was 87.

The team said Ryan died Monday at a nursing home in Waterford, Conn. In a statement emailed to the Chronicle, Ryan’s family said he “passed away due to the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease.” The statement also said “Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is suspected to have played a role in the progression of the disease.”

Ryan threw three touchdown passes to Gary Collins as the Browns shocked Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas and the favored Baltimore Colts 27-0 on Dec. 27, 1964.

A three-time Pro Bowler with the Browns, Ryan spent seven seasons with Cleveland, compiling a 52-22-2 record as a starter.

Ryan lettered at Rice from 1956-57, playing 20 games and throwing for 997 yards and eight touchdowns while platooning with King Hill. The Owls won the Southwest Conference in 1957, their final outright title in the league, before losing to Navy in the Cotton Bowl and finishing eighth in the Associated Press rankings. Ryan was a fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1958 NFL draft.

Ryan worked on his doctorate from Rice in mathematics while playing for the Browns. He later served for 10 years as athletic director at Yale, where he also taught math. Ryan also taught at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland and Rice, where he also was a vice president for institutional planning.

Ryan was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 1973 and received the Distinguished R Award in 1993.

Bowers entering draft: Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, a threetime All-American, announced he is moving on to the NFL. In 40 career games, Bowers caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns.