Eric Metcalf amassed over 17,000 all-purpose yards in his illustrious career. Today we take a look at his five most memorable games as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have had their share of dynamic players over the years. Even though multiple Hall of Famers have lined up at running back in the Browns’ franchise history, Eric Metcalf should still be near the top of that list. Simply put; Metcalf was electric with the ball in his hands.
Metcalf was drafted at No. 13 overall in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft out of the University of Texas. It was an extremely talent-rich draft that produced five Hall of Famers just from the first round alone. Metcalf was the fourth running back selected, well technically the position he was drafted at was wide receiver, but his primary position for the Browns coming out of college was at running back.
Metcalf was such a special athlete that it was hard to put a label on him. If you were to define Metcalf, the best word you could use to describe him is — playmaker. You just had to get the ball in his hands and let him do what comes naturally to him; make plays.
Eric Metcalf is the son of a playmaker; his father Terry Metcalf was a former NFL Pro Bowl running back/wide receiver and return man himself. The father and son duo share numerous striking similarities.
They were both swiss army knives of athletic brilliance, they shared an eerily similar build, and both had the knack for making would-be tacklers look foolish.
Metcalf came to Cleveland at the tail end of an era that saw the Browns reach the playoffs in four straight seasons. His rookie campaign would culminate with the fifth straight playoff appearance and the third AFC championship appearance in four years. He was an immediate contributor to the teams’ success.
Metcalf played six seasons in Cleveland, and during that time, he took the fans’ breath away on countless occasions. Now let’s look back at number 21’s five greatest games for the Cleveland Browns.