Cleveland Browns: 15 best running backs of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
player. 53. . RB. 1984-1988, 1994-1995. Earnest Byner. 7
Earnest Byner was just mentioned for his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield for the Browns. He finished his time with the Browns catching 276 passes for 2,630 yards, placing him just one spot behind Eric Metcalf — and making him the No, 2 receiving back in Browns history at this point. Like Metcalf, he also made his mark in a multitude of ways.
A 10th-round pick out of East Carolina in 1984, Byner made the Browns as a running back and was also a kick returner. He never was an electric returner, but he did prove to be a durable power back for the Browns.
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He spent the first five seasons of his career with them and in his second season, he topped 1,000 yards. That was his best season in the orange and brown as he rushed for 1,002 yards and eight touchdowns while adding another 460 yards through the air.
After those five seasons, Byner went on to play for the Washington Redskins, where he had two seasons in a row with over 1,000 yards on the ground.
After five years with them, he headed back to the Browns and played for them until they moved to Baltimore — and he then finished his career with two more seasons as a Raven. In his last year with the Browns, he had a career-high 61 receptions as he had become more of a receiving threat than a pure runner for them at this point.
Byner was also recently nominated for the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class for his remarkable career. For his part with the Browns, Byner ended up with 3,364 yards on the ground and 27 touchdowns.