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.
We've reached the "final countdown."
Throughout the past month, 3News has been celebrating the Browns' 75th anniversary by giving you our list of the 75 best players in team history. From revered Hall of Famers to grizzled journeymen to special teams stars, the names have brought back countless memories for Cleveland fans both young and old.
Earlier selections:
Now, it's time to reveal out top 10. You should be familiar with all of them, as some are among the greatest to ever step onto a football field, regardless of city.
Here are the 10 greatest players the Cleveland Browns have ever seen:
10. Leroy Kelly
RB/KR – 1964-73
The son of Philadelphia was a skilled kick returner on the Browns' last world championship team, but was promoted to starting fullback in 1966 following the surprise retirement of Jim Brown. How do you replace a legend? How bout by twice being the NFL's leading rusher and three times leading the league in rushing touchdowns? Kelley's 7,274 career yards and 74 scores (both second in Cleveland behind only Brown) earned him five All-Pro selections, and he also scored 13 times as a receiver and three times on special teams. He more than helped soften the blow of Brown's departure, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
9. Dick Schafrath
LT – 1959-71
A Wooster native who later won a national championship at Ohio State, Schafrath was the brightest star on an elite offensive like, protecting the bling sides of Milt Plum, Frank Ryan, and Bill Nelsen while also creating holes for Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, and Leroy Kelly. A four-time All-Pro and 1964 NFL champion, he missed just two games during his career, and following hi retirement went on to serve in the Ohio Senate for 14 years. Inexplicably, he has yet to be enshrined in Canton.
8. Ozzie Newsome
TE – 1978-90
"The Wizard of Oz" was an All-American receiver at Alabama, but upon arrival in Cleveland he would make his mark as one of the greatest tight ends the sport has ever seen. The six-time All-Pro never missed a game over his 13 seasons, setting then-NFL records for receptions (662) and yards (7,980) by a tight end in the process. Those marks are still the best Browns history, and he also caught 47 touchdowns to help the club reach three AFC title games. The 1999 Hall of Fame inductee was later hired as a member of the team's front office before becoming a successful manager after their move to Baltimore, leaving many fans to wonder what might have been.
7. Dante Lavelli
WR – 1946-56
The ultimate hometown hero, "Gluefingers" was a star at Hudson high school before winning a national championship at Ohio State in 1942 with both Paul Brown and Bill Willis. During his rookie year in Cleveland, he led the AAFC in receptions and yards and never looked back, still placing second in club history in receptions (386), yards (6,488), and touchdowns (62). The five-time All-AAFC/All-Pro selection helped the Browns win seven league titles and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
6. Bill Willis
DL – 1946-53
When he signed with the Browns in 1946, Willis officially broke professional football's 13-year color barrier, months before Jackie Robinson did the same in baseball. The Columbus native who had played for Paul Brown at Ohio State let his talents do the talking, earning either All-AAFC or All-Pro honors in each of his eight seasons while helping Cleveland win five league titles. Of his relatively small stature (210 pounds), the 1977 Hall of Fame inductee once said, "They listed me on the program at 225 pounds. It was a psychological thing. Paul Brown didn't want the other teams to know I was really that small."
5. Paul Warfield
WR – 1964-69, 1976-77
One of the most talented receivers in NFL history, the Warren native burst on the scene as a rookie with 920 yards and nine touchdowns to help the Browns win the NFL championship. He later led the league with 12 scoring grabs in 1968, and in eight seasons with Cleveland made three Pro Bowls while snagging 52 TDs and tallying 5,210 yards for an average of 19.2 yards per catch (second-best in team history). Unfortunately, his Northeast Ohio run was interrupted by a trade to the Miami Dolphins that led to a downturn for the franchise, and Browns fans of that era still haven't forgiven the Browns for that ill-sighted move.
4. Marion Motley
RB/LB – 1946-53
Motley joined Willis as the first two Black players to play in a professional football game in more than a decade, and his impact on the offense was immediate. In eight seasons with Cleveland, the Canton McKinley grad ran for 4,712 yards and 31 touchdowns, and his career mark of 5.7 yards per carry is a record for running backs that stands to this day. The 1968 Hall of Fame inductee led the AAFC or NFL in rushing twice and TDs once, and scored three times in the Browns' 1948 AAFC title win that capped a 15-0 season. A two-time All-Pro and five-time league champion, Motley also saw action at linebacker, where he once tallied a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown.
3. Lou Groza
K/LT – 1946-59, 1961-67
A native of Southeast Ohio who served in the Pacific during World War II, "The Toe" had his most famous success as a kicker, leading his league in made field goals five times and field goal percentage four times. The seven-time All-Pro's greatest boot came on Christmas Eve 1950, when he nailed a 16-yarder to give the Browns their first NFL title in their first year in the league. As Cleveland's all-time leading scorer with 1,608 points, Groza was also the starting left tackle throughout the '50s, and is the only player in club history to be a part of all eight of its championships. Besides being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974, his No. 76 is also retired by the franchise, and the street outside team headquarters in Berea is named "Lou Groza Boulevard" in his honor.
2. Otto Graham
QB/DB – 1946-55
The primary goal of a quarterback is to win games, and "Automatic Otto" did that better that perhaps anyone else in football history. In each of his 10 seasons, the Browns played for their respective league's championship every single time, winning all four years in the AAFC and three more times in the NFL. Graham was their ultimate leader on the field, leading those leagues in passing five times, completion percentage four times, and touchdowns three times (and even intercepting seven total throws as a defensive back). The 10-time All-Pro's 23,584 career yards remain second in club history only to Brian Sipe, while his 174 TDs are still at the top of the list. In 1965, he became the first Brown ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the team has also retired his No. 14 and erected a statue in his likeness outside FirstEnergy Stadium.
1. Jim Brown
RB – 1957-65
Not only is Brown the best player on this list, but he also might be the greatest player in football history. In just nine seasons, the Syracuse product started every game there was to play, earning All-Pro honors each year in the process. He burst on the scene in 1957 by winning both the NFL's Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards, taking home the latter two more times while being the league's leading rusher every season except 1962. His 12,312 career rushing yards were a record that stood for 19 years, and his 126 total touchdowns (rushing and receiving) are also the most in Cleveland history as well as tied for 10th on the all-time list. He played in three NFL Championship Games and won one of them, but just months after winning his third MVP in 1965, he abruptly retired following a dispute with owner Art Modell. Though we are left to wonder what could've been, his No. 32 was still retired by the organization, and a statue of him has stood outside FirstEnergy Stadium since 2016.