1946 Cleveland Browns "Sears" Team Set

Huge Motley fan as well and have done some research on the car accident, March 24, 1940. An interesting sidenote were the passengers in the car w/Motley; 1939 Reno Mountain Eagles baseball teammates Ralph Turner and Eddie Claxton (son of Jimmy Claxton). A decent ballplayer Motley played outfield and pitched for the black baseball team in Reno, the Dixie Club 1940-41, as well as integrated the Verdi, Nevada amateur baseball team for a few games in 1940. Eddie was an outstanding Reno High School/semi-professional baseball player (pitcher/firstbaseman), and freshman at University of Nevada at Reno. Motley separated his shoulder, Turner escaped with scrapes, and Claxtons' left wrist was shattered which ended his baseball career.

In regards to Willis, it is simply incredible that a player can have a 10 year Hall of Fame career and not have a football card until 20 years after his retirement from the gridiron...

[TanksAndSpartans]

Thanks Ty for the additional info - so the vehicular homicide was a case of aggressive driving? Nothing more to it than doing something stupid at the wrong moment and paying a high price?

I finished Otto Graham's bio recently and subjectively, I'd say Willis was the player Graham spoke most highly of in the parts of the book that were his quotes.

It sounds strange for a HOFer to be underrated, but this is probably a case of that - I've never heard Willis come in conversations of great linebackers. I believe technically he was a "middle guard", but to me that's basically the precursor for the middle linebacker, although I believe a big part of what he did was rush the passer - I honestly never researched him - now I'm curious to check the PFRA archives....

It seems that Motley attempted to pass a car on a two lane highway. The driver of the car being overtaken sped up, and would not allow the car Motley was driving to merge safely in front of him.

A family of six Japanese laborers in what was described as a "jalopy" coming the opposite direction were hit head on by Motley's vehicle. Ted Nobori, 60, was killed and two other Nobori family members seriously injured. The driver of the third vehicle was never found or identified.