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Cleveland Browns Magnificent Seven: Best players from the 20th century

By Elliot Kennel

19 Sep 1993: Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown looks on during a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Browns won the game, 19-16. Mandatory Credit: Markus Boesch /Allsport
19 Sep 1993: Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown looks on during a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Browns won the game, 19-16. Mandatory Credit: Markus Boesch /Allsport /
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Cleveland Browns
CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 20: Cleveland fans cheer during a game between the Tennessee Titans and the Tennessee Titans at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 20, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won the game 28-14. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

There were many superstars who have played for the Cleveland Browns. Here is one correspondent’s attempt to identify the seven greatest from their first stint in the NFL which lasted from 1946 through 1995

The Cleveland Browns have a rich heritage, so much so that when editor Randy Gurzi challenged your humble correspondent to name the seven best Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1995, it was immediately realized that it is truly an impossible task to narrow it down to only seven greats and some players would be left out. In their glory days, the Browns were that good.

Back in the day, the Browns were in the championship game ten years in a row. The first four were in the old All-American Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946 through 1950 and the NFL from 1951 through 1955. But do not think that the four-letter league was a minor league, such as the farce of the Alliance of Atrocious  Football  (AAF) which flickered briefly on your TV screens earlier this year before collapsing in mid-season.

No, the AAFC was a serious attempt to overtake the NFL, and they actually outbid the NFL for talent. For example, in 1946, 40 of 66 College All-Stars went with the AAFC and not with the NFL. Moreover, the AAFC owners were generally more wealthy than their NFL counterparts, although not any smarter, so they lost money by investing in player salaries. That made for good football but lousy finances.

After merging in 1950, the Browns made it the NFL Championship game (the equivalent of the Super Bowl back then) the first six years they were in the league. The rest of the NFL should have had a song “Who let the Browns In?”

They won the championship in 1950, 1954 and 1955. They also made it to the Championship and lost in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1965, 1968, 1969, and they made the AFC title game three times 1986, 1987, and 1988. Holy cow, that’s seven championships and 10 times runner up!

So with that kind of winning heritage, there were many many superstars that came through the fair metropolis of Cleveland.  Nevertheless, here is one correspondent’s attempt to identify the seven greatest.

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