Established
1936
City
Cleveland - Los Angeles - St. Louis - Los Angeles
League History
1936 – Present / National Football League
Team History
2016 - Present / Los Angeles Rams
1995 - 2015 / St. Louis Rams
1946 - 1994 / Los Angeles Rams
1936 - 1945 / Cleveland Rams
Nickname
Rams - The Cleveland Rams were among the first teams to join the National Football League (NFL). The team was established in 1937 and played home games at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. While they had a short-lived tenure with only five seasons before moving to Los Angeles, their name has remained an iconic part of NFL history.
The origin story behind the “Rams” nickname is quite interesting. It all started when co-owner Homer Marshman noticed a Fordham University football game on television and noticed that many of their players had horns painted on their helmets as part of school tradition. He believed this would make for an excellent mascot for his new professional team; thus, the “Cleveland Rams” was born!
Since then, other teams have adopted similar nicknames, such as St Louis's "Cardinals" or Atlanta's "Falcons," but none can compare to how it all began with Cleveland's beloved team - The Rams! Despite leaving Ohio in 1945, they remain etched into our hearts, just like any true sports fan knows - once you're a Ram...you'll always be one!
Championship
Super Bowl 0
1999
NFL Championship 1
1945
Stadium
2020 – Present / SoFi Stadium
2018 – 2019 / Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park (during construction)
2019 / Dignity Health Sports Park
2017 – 2018 / StubHub Center
*St. Louis*
2001 - 2015 / Edward Jones Dome
2001 / Dome at America's Center
1995 - 2000 / Trans World Dome
*Los Angeles*
1980 - 1994 / Anaheim Stadium
1946 - 1979 / Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
*Cleveland*
1936 - 1937, 1939 - 1941, 1945 / Cleveland Municipal Stadium
1937, 1942, 1944 - 1945 / League Park
1938 / Shaw Stadium
Owner
2010 - Present / Stan Kroenke
2008 - 2010 / Chip Rosenbloom, Lucia Rodriguez, and Stan Kroenke
1995 - 2008 / Georgia Frontiere and Stan Kroenke
1979 - 1995 / Georgia Frontiere
1972 - 1979 / Carroll Rosenbloom
1971 - 1972 / Robert Irsay
1941 - 1971 / Dan Reeves
1936 - 1941 / Homer Marshman
- 1937
- 1946
-
Cleveland Rams Team Formation
The Cleveland Rams were founded by attorney Homer Marshman in 1936. Their name, the Rams, comes from the nickname of Fordham University. “Rams” was selected to honor the hard work of the football players that came out of that university. They were part of the newly formed American Football League and finished the 1936 regular season in second place with ... -
Reeves Looking to Move to Los Angeles
On January 12, 1946, Reeves was denied a request by the other NFL owners to move the Cleveland Rams to Los Angeles and the then-103,000-seat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He threatened to end his relationship with the NFL and get out of the professional football business altogether unless the transfer to Los Angeles was permitted. A settlement was reached and, ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Rams
The Cleveland Rams, previously known as the Los Angeles Rams, were an American professional football team that played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 1945. The franchise was founded by attorney Homer Marshman and player-coach Damon Wetzel, who acquired the rights to an NFL franchise in Cleveland for $2,500.
In their first season of play (1937), the Rams posted a respectable 7–5 record under coach Wetzel and made it to the NFL Championship Game before falling short against the Washington Redskins 28–21. Despite this success, financial difficulties caused by World War II forced them out of business after just eight seasons in 1945.
During their time as a member of the NFL, they had some great players such as quarterback Bob Waterfield, who won league MVP honors twice while playing with them; running back Parker Hall, who led all rushers with 858 yards during his rookie season; end Jim Benton, whose career receptions total still stands at third on the team list behind only Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch; linebacker Les Richter is also known for being one of the most feared tacklers the game ever saw during the 1950s/60s era when he later starred for the Los Angeles Rams years after the original club disbanded.
Despite having been around for less than a decade, the Cleveland Rams left a significant impact on the sport itself in many ways. From two championship appearances and winning one title outright, they proved they could compete among the best teams in the league, even though finances weren't always ideal. This situation helped pave the way for future franchises like the Los Angeles Rams, which went on to win multiple championships of their own over the following decades, plus numerous Hall of Fame inductees from both eras combined – their legacy remains a strong force to be reckoned with in today's modern landscape of professional football worldwide!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
7 / Bob Waterfield
28 / Marshall Faulk
29 / Eric Dickerson
74 / Merlin Olsen
75 / Deacon Jones
78 / Jackie Slater
80 / Isaac Bruce
85 / Jack Youngblood
*Blue is this team’s history