50 Greatest Browns of All-Time: 30-21
Here is our next installment of the 50 Greatest Browns of All-Time. If you did not see the previous articles, please make sure to check them out.
30. Len Ford, DE (1950-1957)
Len Ford joined the Browns after the AAFC got disbanded. He won three championships with the Browns in 1950, 1954 and 1955. In each season from 1951-1954, Ford was a Pro Bowler and named 1st Team All-Pro. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976, four years after his death.
29. Gary Collins, WR/P (1962-1971)
Garry Collins is one of those “old-school” players who played multiple positions. In 1963, he was the league-leader in receiving touchdowns with 13. For his career, he had 331 receptions for 5,299 yards and 70 touchdowns.
28. Jerry Sherk, DT (1970-1981)
Sherk was a 2nd-round draft pick out of Oklahoma State in 1970. He made the Pro Bowl four consecutive seasons from 1973-1976. In the 1976 season, Sherk had 92 tackles and 12 sacks, which was good enough to garner NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. In his career he recorded six blocked kicks.
27. Bill Willis, DT (1946-1953)
Bill Willis became one of the first African American players when he joined the Browns. He was a disruptive force as he combined power and speed on the defensive line. He won five consecutive championships with the Browns from 1946-1950. He was athree-timee Pro Bowler, a member of both the Pro Football and College Football Halls of Fame.
26. Michael Dean Perry, DE (1988-1994)
Michael Dean Perry is the younger brother of former Chicago Bears defensive lineman William “The Refrigerator” Perry. He was named to five Pro Bowls while a member of the Browns. In 1989, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Year. During his time in Cleveland, he accumulated 470 tackles and 51.5 sacks.
25. Frank Minnifield, CB (1984-1992)
Minnifield started his career in the USFL and then joined the Browns in 1984. He was a star defensive back alongside Hanford Dixon and both were integral parts of the founding of the Dawg Pound. He was a four-time Pro Bowler from 1986-1989 and was named to the NFL 1980’s All-Decade Team. In 2017, he was one of 94 players and coaches who were up for nomination into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While he did not make it much farther than that, he will always be a Browns legend!
24. Kevin Mack, RB (1985-1993)
Mack also played in the USFL before joining the NFL. In his rookie year with the Browns, Mack rushed for 1,104 yards and made the first of his two Pro Bowls. Kevin Mack is currently in charge of Alumni Relations for the Browns.
23. Eddie Johnson, LB (1981-1990)
Johnson was a 7th-round draft pick for the Browns. In 1984, Eddie Johnson recorded 172 tackles. He was nicknamed “The Assassin” for his ferocious tackling style. Sadly, Johnson passed away at the age of 43 from colon cancer.
22. Gene Hickerson, OG (1958-1973)
Gene Hickerson was a 7th-round draft pick in 1957. He won a championship in 1964. In his career with the Browns, he blocked for future Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly. In 2007, shortly before his death, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
21. Doug Dieken, OT (1971-1984)
Dieken was a 6th-round draft pick in 1971. In 1980, he was named to his lone Pro Bowl. After retiring, he became an announcer for the Browns, a job he holds until this day.
Our next article will feature players 20-11. What do you think about the list so far? What players do you expect to see ranked in the next article? Have you learned anything about players you did not know much about?
Missed the last ones:
