He had six interceptions that season as Cleveland finished with a 10–2 win–loss record and beat the Los Angeles Rams to win the NFL championship.
Gorgal grew up in Peru, Illinois and attended the town's St. Bede Academy, a private Catholic high school.
[4] Gorgal accounted for most of Purdue's passing the following year in an upset victory against Minnesota, prompting Holcomb to say he had "a perfect game in directing the team on the field".
[8] The Browns were set to begin their first season in the NFL after transferring from the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), which had disbanded the previous year.
[10] Gorgal was given a $5,900-a-year contract with a $200 bonus and made Cleveland's roster as a starter in his rookie year, supplanting long-time safety Cliff Lewis.
[1][11] While Gorgal was large in stature for a safety of the era – he was six feet, two inches tall and weighed about 200 pounds – he had six interceptions in 1950, second on the team to Tommy James's nine.
[1][11] Led by an offense that featured quarterback Otto Graham, fullback Marion Motley and ends Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie, the Browns finished with a 10–2 record and won the NFL championship by beating the Los Angeles Rams.
[1] Gorgal was discharged and returned to the Browns in 1953, helping bolster a defensive backfield that had been depleted by players' military service and Lewis's retirement.
[1] He came into conflict with Bears coach and owner George Halas over his role as a leader on the team, however, and he was released on waivers halfway through the 1956 season.
[1] Gorgal considered Green Bay a lower-tier team and remained frustrated with his acrimonious departure from Chicago, and decided to quit football rather than play another year with the Packers.