Cleveland Browns: 15 best defensive backs of all time
By Randy Gurzi
CB/S. 1971-83. Clarence Scott. 6. player. 53.
Greatest defensive backs in Cleveland Browns history: #6. Clarence Scott
Born and raised in the Atlanta area, Clarence Scott won a state title with Trinity High School in Decatur back in 1965. He then went on to play for Kansas State where he received All-American honors for his senior campaign. He was highly touted heading into the 1971 NFL Draft, which led to the Cleveland Browns taking him at No. 14 overall.
Scott immediately made his impact felt, as he was a starter for 13 games as a rookie. He recorded four interceptions that year, something he was very good at. Scott followed that year up with no picks in 1972, but that was the only campaign he had without at least two interceptions.
During his 13 years with the Browns, Scott showed off his incredible athleticism. A multi-sport star in high school, Scott had great speed and leaping ability. He also had incredible hands — which wasn’t by accident, as he was a wide receiver at Trinity.
In 2018, Scott was inducted into the Kansas Hall of Fame. According to Bill Banks of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he had 173 tackles and 12 interceptions for K-State, while making the All-Big Eight team two separate times as well as his All-American selection as a senior.
He’s also a member of the Browns Ring of Honor and is third all-time in their history with 39 interceptions — two of which he scored on. For good measure, he also was credited with 11 fumble recoveries, showing his ability to find the ball whenever it was near him.