McGraw was born in
Garden City, Kansas. At
Paonia High School, he won four letters in basketball, three each in football and baseball and was the Western Slope heavyweight-boxing champion. Standing 6'5" and weighing 235 lbs., McGraw was fresh from action with the
U.S. Marine Corps in
World War II when he enrolled at
Colorado State University in 1946, when it was known as Colorado A&M. Working diligently at his game, McGraw called upon lessons learned as a
boxer and
wrestler to fashion himself into a special breed of football player. His arm strength was crushing to opposing players and his agility developed through wrestling served him well when fending off opposing linemen. Colorado A&M finished 2–7 in McGraw's freshman season, but things would change quickly. As a sophomore, McGraw helped his Rams post a 5–4–1 mark, the team's best record in 11 years. Then, in 1948, the Aggies posted upsets over rivals
Utah State,
Wyoming,
BYU and archrival
Colorado. The 1949 campaign, McGraw's last as a four-year
letterman, saw the Aggies log a 9–1 record marred only by a loss to Wyoming. After graduation, McGraw joined the
Detroit Lions and captured Rookie of the Year and All-Pro honors. In 1981, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. While at Colorado State, McGraw was the school's first football All-American in 1949. When he returned to CSU in later years as a staff member, he also served as the athletic director from 1976 to 1986. McGraw was also an
All-American thrower for the
Colorado State Rams track and field team, finishing 8th in the
discus throw at the
1949 NCAA Track and Field Championships. ==References==