Cleveland Brewers
- Year founded:
Circa 1966, according to a National Women's Football League information sheet provided by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Library
- Team Colors:
Navy Blue and Columbia Blue
- 1978 won-loss record vs. NWFL teams:
0-3
- General Manager(s):
Karen Komorowski (1979);
Year-By-Year History of Cleveland Brewers, 1980 to 1983
1980
- Coaching Staff:
Joe LaRue was the head coach and Bill Ballow was one of his assistants.
- Tryouts for the team took place in June 1980.
- Players on the 1980 Cleveland Brewers included Karen Komorowski, a 5 feet 8 inch 169 pound lineman, and Judy Muldoon, who played quarterback and fullback.
- Regular season workouts began on July 1, and the season opener was on September 7. There were three practices a week.
- Home games were played at Baldwin-Wallace College and attendance averaged about 100 spectators per game.
- By the end of their first season of full NWFL membership, the Cleveland Brewers had only 14 uninjured players out of a roster of 25.
- 1980 won-loss record:
2-4
1981
- 1981 won-loss record:
4-2
- Home attendance improved by some 25 to 50 people per game over 1980. According to an information sheet about the Cleveland Brewers sent to me by former player Cindy Pizzino, " . . .newspapers suddenly became more aware of [the Cleveland Brewers'] existence and getting an article or score printed was a little easier."
1982
- 1982 won-loss record:
7-2. (Both defeats came at the hands of the Columbus Pacesetters.)
- The Brewers' were awarded the NWFL Championship on a technicality.
1983
- 1983 won-loss record:
9-1
- The Cleveland Brewers set as their goal for 1983 the league championship. To achieve that goal, the Brewers began an off season weight training program in January 1983.
- 41 women tried out for spots on the Brewers' roster in 1983; 30 made the squad.
- Average home attendance rose to 250 to 300 per game.
- Cleveland won its first eight games of the 1983 season before losing to the Toledo Furies in the regular season finale.
- In the NWFL Championship game, the Cleveland Brewers hosted the Columbus Pacesetters, who defeated the Toledo Troopers in a preliminary playoff. The Brewers defeated the Pacesetters 43-6 in a game attended by 400 fans. NBC aired highlights of the NWFL championship game on its NFL pre-game show.
- The Cleveland Touchdown Club honored the Cleveland Brewers for their 1983 championship season at an awards banquet.
Other Facts about the Cleveland Brewers
- The players raised funds for their team by selling key chains, cooler cups and other promotional items.
- The exploits of the Cleveland Brewers football team were chronicled in such television series as PM Magazine and That's My Line.
- Notable players included the following: Carol Segan, #12, quarterback; Deb McKenzi, #67, offensive tackle; and Suzette "Sam" Stimson, a linebacker.
