Michael Nickolas Graham Sr. (April 3, 1923 – July 7, 2003) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

player who played at the fullback and halfback positions on both offense and defense. He played college football for

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and professional football for the

Los Angeles Dons The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the newly formed football league the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946 to 1949, and played their home games in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Dons were the first pr ...

Early years

Graham was born in 1923 in

Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Located in northeastern Ohio, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 census. The hi ...

. He attended and played football at

Warren G. Harding High School Warren G. Harding High School is a public high school in Warren, Ohio, United States. It is the only high school in the Warren City School District. Sports teams are called the Raiders, and they compete in the Ohio High School Athletic Associatio ...

in Warren.

Military and college football

He played college football for the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...

Bearcats in

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...

, 1946, and 1947. He played at the fullback and halfback positions on offense and also on defense. He became known as the "Greek Ground Gripper" for his ability to remain on his feet while opponents tried to tackle him. His college career was interrupted by service in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Professional football

In January 1948, Graham announced that he would not be returning to Cincinnati for the 1948 season. He signed to play professional football with the

of the All-America Football Conference in July 1948. during their 1948 season. He also played for the Erie Vets of the American Football League in 1950.

Family and later years

He died in 2003 at age 80 in Warren, Ohio.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Mike 1923 births 2003 deaths Los Angeles Dons players Cincinnati Bearcats football players Players of American football from Warren, Ohio United States Navy personnel of World War II