Ray Terrell

Raymond Willard Terrell ( – ) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and defensive back for two seasons with the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).

Terrell played college football as a halfback for the Ole Miss Rebels. He joined the U.S. military in 1942 during World War II, and upon his discharge was signed by the Browns, then a team under formation in the new AAFC. Terrell returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown in the Browns' first game, a team record that stood for 14 years. The Browns went on to win the first AAFC championship, but Terrell was sent to the Colts after the season as part of a league-led effort to distribute talent more evenly among its teams. He was released by the Colts midway through the 1947 season, however, and returned to the Browns. The team proceeded to win a second AAFC championship.

College and professional career

Terrell was born in Mississippi and attended the University of Mississippi, where he played as a halfback on the football team. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1942 during World War II and played football for a team at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, where he was stationed. He moved to the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943 and played for another team at Camp Lejune in North Carolina.

Terrell was signed by the Cleveland Browns of the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. He was cut by the Colts in the middle of the 1947 season, however, and tried to regain his position on the Browns' roster after several of the team's halfbacks suffered injuries. The Browns won a second AAFC championship in 1947.