The Game Before the Money: Oral History of Pro and College Football

Upton Bell gives his insights about the NFL dynasties he's witnessed since the 1940s, when he father Bert Bell was NFL Commissioner. He also previews Super Bowl 59 with host Michael Jackson.

The Game Before the Money Oral History Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit. Learn more  and donate at TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.

Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau discusses his new book "Legendary" as well as his playing career with the Lions and his coaching career. He goes in-depth about the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers defense and what it was like playing with Night Train Lane and for Woody Hayes.

Pete Brewster played nine seasons in the NFL, including seven with Paul Brown’s legendary Cleveland Browns of the 1950s and made the Pro Bowl as a receiver. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs when they won Super Bowl 4 and was a member of the very first Minnesota Vikings coaching staff.

Brewster shared stories with me during the summer of 2019. He talked about why he chose Purdue and how he ended up playing for the Browns despite being drafted by the Cardinals. He remembered the great Cleveland teams of the 1950s and how Otto Graham paid him an enormous compliment. Brewster finished his playing career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Brewster passed away in January of 2020.

The Game before the Money Podcast comes out each Tuesday. Author Jackson Michael hosts and produces the program. The podcast often features stories from pro and college football legends. You can learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.    

John Wooten truly is a legend. Coming into the NFL in 1959, he blocked for Jim Brown, played for Paul Brown, and was a key part of the 1964 Cleveland Browns NFL championship team. Hear him share stories of his friendships with Ernie Davis and Muhammad Ali, including great info on the famous "Cleveland Summit" with Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, and many other sports superstars. In college, he helped the Colorado Buffaloes to the Orange Bowl.

John worked as a scout for the Dallas Cowboys for 16 years, then worked for the Eagles and Ravens. He now chairs the Fritz Pollard Alliance. He worked with Commissioner Pete Rozelle and other NFL legends to establish an important program to develop African-Americans for coaching and front office positions. John's amazing story -- which includes working with Pete Rozelle to avoid filing a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL in the 1960s and Clemson mailing a threatening letter to Colorado before the 1957 Orange Bowl because he and a teammate were African-American -- is told in this episode.