Cleveland Browns: 15 greatest offensive linemen of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
2. player. 53. . Center. (1946-56). Frank Gatski
Greatest offensive lineman in Cleveland Browns history: #2. Frank Gatski
One of the most undervalued positions in football happens to be the center. Usually the anchor of an offensive line, no one realizes how important centers are until they don’t have a good one. And for 11 seasons, the Browns had an amazing one — who was arguably the best in the league during his career — Frank Gatski.
He was so good that Samantha Bunten of Bleacher Report even put him in the top-10 all-time back in 2011 when she ranked the 50 greatest players in Cleveland history.
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"“Center Frank Gatski was the Browns center from 1946 to 1957. It is difficult, admittedly, to think of a center as a top-10 player for any team, but then it’s also pretty difficult to find a center anywhere in the league in any era who was as good as Gatski. One of the things that made Gatski stand out? He never fumbled the snap. NEVER. Gatski was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, after failing to make it in as a finalist in 1976.” ‚— Bunten, Bleacher Report"
A four-time AAFC champion, Gatski was a reserve for the first two seasons of his career and even played some linebacker. But in 1948, he was the full-time starter in the middle of the offensive line and started that impressive streak of never fumbling a snap.
A four-time selection to the All-NFL Team, Gatski made the Pro Bowl just once which was a shame in itself. He did wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and deserves to be mentioned as one of the best to ever play in The Land.