CLEVELAND — EDITOR'S NOTE: Select statistics and facts compiled from Pro-Football-Reference.com, ClevelandBrowns.com, NFL.com, and the NFL record book. Some other anecdotes referenced via link.
On Sept. 6, 1946, the Cleveland Browns took the field for the first time as members of the new All-American Football Conference.
Led by head coach and Northeast Ohio native Paul Brown (whom the club was named after), the team defeated the Miami Seahawks 44-0 before a crowd of 60,135 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Mac Speedie and Dante "Gluefingers" Lavelli (the latter a proud son of Hudson) each caught touchdown passes, while Lou "The Toe" Groza made three field goals.
Little did anyone know at the time, but that game would mark the start of a 10-year dynasty on the shores of Lake Erie, as well as a 75-year local love affair with the game of football. Professional teams had come and gone from Cleveland before and some had even won championships, but none could capture the public's imagination quite like the Browns did that first late summer afternoon.
All these decades later -- through tremendous triumphs, unbelievable heartbreak, and even briefly losing the team altogether -- that love affair shines as bright as ever. Even when the Browns have (literally) been among the worst in the NFL, the fans have always been there, cheering loud and hoping the breaks go their way.
We're not going to talk about the low points. Rather, we're going to celebrate the cream of the crop of this franchise, the most talented men ever to wear the Orange and Brown. Most of their names are likely familiar to you, and the memories they evoke surely still put a smile on your face.
Let's get rolling with our countdown of the top 75 players in Cleveland Browns history, beginning with Nos. 51-75.
75. Tony Adamle
FB/LB – 1947-51, 1954
An alum of both Collinwood High School and the Ohio State University, Adamle began as a backup fullback to Marion Motley before shifting to left-side linebacker, where he made two Pro Bowls and led the NFL with five fumble recoveries in 1950. He intercepted a pass in the 1948 AAFC Championship Game, picked off a career-high four the following year, and wound up helping the Browns win three AAFC titles and two NFL crowns before earning his medical degree and becoming a sports physician in Kent.
74. Horace Gillon
P/WR – 1947-56
Though he had more than career 1,000 receiving yards, the Massillon alum's true talents were as one of the league's first great punters. He led the NFL in average yards per kick three times and his career mark of 43.1 yards was second all-time when he retired. A one-time Pro Bowler and six-time league champion (AAFC and NFL), he is second in Browns history in total punting yards behind Don Cockroft, and his 80-yard boot in 1954 remains the longest the team has ever seen.
73. Baker Mayfield
QB – 2018-present
Though he can be a polarizing figure among both fans and media analysts alike, Mayfield is already the Browns' all-time leader in passer rating (90.0) and is fifth in both passing yards (12,589) and touchdowns (81). His 27 TDs in 2018 are an NFL record for a rookie, and he's one of just six QBs in franchise history to win a playoff game.
72. Reggie Rucker
WR – 1975-81
An always reliable target, Rucker remains top 10 in Browns history in receptions (310), yards (4,953), and touchdowns (32). His best season came in 1978, when he averaged more than 20 yards per reception and scored eight times.
71. Lyle Alzado
DE – 1979-81
Alzado's tenure in Cleveland was brief, but dominant, with 24 1/2 sacks in three seasons. Nine of those sacks came as a member of the "Kardiac Kids" in 1980, earning him first-team NFL All-Pro honors.
70. Dave Logan
WR – 1976-83
The leading receiver on the "Kardiac Kids," Logan ranks ninth among all-time Browns in both yards (4,247) and yards per reception (16.2). His most famous catch came on Oct. 19, 1980, a 46-yard touchdown grab with less than 20 seconds remaining that gave Cleveland a 26-21 win over the Green Bay Packers.
69. Alex Mack
C – 2009-15
A surprise first-round draft pick, Mack made the selection well worth it by making three Pro Bowls in his seven seasons. Unfortunately, the Browns as a group could not match his production, and few could blame him when he voided his contract and took his talents elsewhere.
68. Jarvis Landry
WR – 2018-present
On the field, "Juice" has been electric, with more that 3,000 receiving yards and two Pro Bowls while wearing a Cleveland uniform. But his contributions go far beyond his skills, as his passion and drive for the game have been credited with helping change the culture of a franchise that had been the NFL's punching bag for two decades.
67. Phil Dawson
K – 1999-2012
By roughly his sixth season, Dawson was about the only player remaining from the new Browns' original 1999 roster. During a steady and consistent career, the Pro Bowler set franchise single-season (30) and all-time (305) records for field goals made, became second behind only Lou Groza in points scored (1,271), and made several clutch kicks that give fans goosebumps to this day.
66. Bill Nelsen
QB – 1968-72
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded Nelsen to Cleveland for quarterback Dock Shiner and defensive tackle Frank Parker, and its safe to say the results were lopsided. A four-year starter under center, the All-Pro threw for more than 9,000 yards while leading the Browns to three division titles and two trips to the NFL Championship Game, but despite his success could not break through and reach the Super Bowl.
65. Don Colo
DT – 1953-58
After bouncing around the league his first few years, Colo finally found a home in the interior of Paul Brown's defensive line. A three-time Pro Bowler, he recovered 11 fumbles and helped the Browns reach four NFL Championship Games, winning two of them.
64. Galen Fiss
LB – 1956-66
A mainstay up front for 11 seasons, Fiss picked off 13 passes and made two Pro Bowls during his career. He was captain of the 1964 NFL Championship squad, and is perhaps best remembered for a play he made early in that game, when he cut through multiple Baltimore Colts' blockers and tackled future Hall of Famer Lenny Moore for a 5-yard loss.
63. Ken Konz
S – 1953-59
Konz's 30 interceptions are still fifth-most in Browns history, and his four returned for touchdowns place him second. The two-time All-Pro also picked off two passes each in the 1954 and '55 NFL Championship Games, both Cleveland victories.
62. Jim Ray Smith
OG – 1956-62
Originally placed at defensive end, Smith was moved to the offensive side his second year and went on to become one of the best guards of his day. The tough Texan made five Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams while blocking for stars like Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell.
61. Doug Dieken
OT – 1971-84
It was somewhat fitting when the Browns gave Joe Thomas No. 73, for they were hoping he could merely be half as good as Cleveland football's original "Iron Man" was when he lined up at left tackle. Diek started a club record 198 consecutive games (including the playoffs) while protecting the blind sides of everyone from Bill Nelsen to Brian Sipe, making the Pro Bowl in 1980. After he retired, he immediately took a job as color commentator on the team's radio broadcasts and has remained in the position ever since, even becoming a national TV star in the process.
60. Jim Houston
DE/LB – 1960-72
It's quite possible no Northeast Ohioan has had a more perfect career than Houston, who won championships at Massillon Washington, Ohio State, and with the Browns. The four-time Pro Bowler spent his entire 13-year career in Cleveland, recording 29 1/2 sacks and 14 interceptions in the process.
59. Tom DeLeone
C – 1974-84
DeLeone starred at both Kent Roosevelt and Ohio State before arriving in Cleveland from Cincinnati. He anchored the offensive line during the "Kardiac Kids" era, making back-to-back Pro Bowls in 1979 and '80.
58. Josh Cribbs
WR/KR – 2005-12
Though he was a talented quarterback at Kent State, the Browns' coaching staff decided to move Cribbs to wide receiver, and he caught seven career touchdowns at that position. However, it was his skills on special teams that made him a potential game-breaker every time he touched the ball, and the two-time All-Pro returned eight kickoffs (tied for the NFL record) and three punts for scores while setting the franchise mark with 14,065 all-purpose yards.
57. Dub Jones
RB/WR – 1948-55
William Augustus Jones was the picture of versatility during the Browns' dynasty years, tallying more than 5,000 scrimmage yards and 41 total en route to five league titles. During a 1951 win over the Chicago Bears, he became the first player in NFL history to score six TDs in a single game, a feat only two men (Gale Sayers and Alvin Kamara) have matched since. Dub later returned to Cleveland as an assistant coach under Blanton Collier and helped the team win the 1964 NFL Championship.
56. Eric Turner
S – 1991-95
"E-Rock" was a dominant force all over the field, picking off 17 passes and recording 524 tackles with Cleveland. His 1994 All-Pro season was one of the best in club history, with nine interceptions and 105 stops to lead Bill Belichick's No. 1-ranked scoring defense. In Week 15 that year against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, he tackled Jay Novacek at the goal line as time expired to clinch a playoff berth for the Browns.
55. Vince Costello
LB – 1957-1966
The Ohio native's 18 interceptions place him first among linebackers in Browns history, with seven coming in 1963 alone and another coming in the 1964 NFL title game against the great Johnny Unitas. He also returned two fumbles for touchdowns, tying him with three others for the team record.
54. Warren Lahr
DB – 1949-59
Lahr's 44 career interceptions were a Cleveland record that stood for more than 20 years, and his five pick 6s still put him alone in first in team history. He had at least five INTs for six consecutive seasons and five more in the postseason, all well helping the Browns win four league championships.
53. Milt Morin
TE – 1966-75
Morin was, quite frankly, the original Ozzie Newsome, and his career mark of 15.5 yards per reception is actually more than three yards better than his successor at tight end. His 4,208 total yards still rank him 10th in Browns history, and while making one of his two Pro Bowls in 1968 he caught five touchdowns to help Cleveland reach the NFL Championship Game.
52. Cody Risien
OL – 1979-89
Risien established himself a reliable right tackle during both the Sipe and Kosar eras, making consecutive Pro Bowls in 1986 and '87. He made 140 regular-season starts, in addition to each of the Browns' 10 playoff games during the decade.
51. Chip Banks
LB – 1982-86
An elite pass-rusher and No. 3 overall draft pick, Banks tallied 5 1/2 sacks in the strike-shortened 1982 season to earn NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors (the only Brown ever to win the award). A four-time Pro Bowler, he put up 27 1/2 sacks and five interceptions during his Cleveland career, and also registered 1 1/2 more QB stops in the legendary double overtime win over the New York Jets in the 1986 playoffs.
3News' Dave "Dino" DeNatale contributed to this list.
