Countdown to 2020: Best Cleveland Browns player to wear No. 35

Who is the best player to wear No. 35 for the Cleveland Browns?

The countdown to the 2020 NFL season is upon us. With 35 days remaining until the Browns season opener, we continue the countdown by celebrating the best Cleveland Browns player to ever wear number 35: Galen Fiss.

Galen Fiss was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 13th round of the 1953 NFL draft out of the University of Kansas. Fiss was a three-sport athlete during his collegiate career, excelling at football, baseball, and track. His versatility would play into the fact that although Fiss was drafted by Cleveland in 1953 he would not play for the Browns until 1956.

Even though the Browns drafted Fiss, they didn’t offer him a contract initially. However, the Cleveland Indians had an interest in the former collegiate catcher and signed the Kansas native to a contract. Fiss was then shipped to South Dakota to play baseball for the Indians’ Class-C affiliate, the Fargo-Moorhead Twins.

After one season playing minor league baseball, Fiss decided to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. Following his two-year stint in the Air Force, head coach Paul Brown was able to convince Fiss to come to training camp in 1956 and give professional football a go. Although Fiss played fullback in college, Brown viewed him as a candidate to play linebacker at the next level.

As he often was, Brown was correct in his assessment and Fiss proved to be a natural at linebacker. Fiss would go on to start 11 of 12 games in his rookie season and would remain a defensive fixture for the Browns for the next decade.

After spending his rookie season at right linebacker, Fiss was moved over to the left linebacker spot and that is where he stayed for six-straight seasons. 1962 was his last season playing at left linebacker and it was also the first time Fiss would be nominated to the Pro Bowl. That season Fiss turned in his best season as a professional recording four interceptions as well as four fumble recoveries.

The following year was Fiss’s first year playing right linebacker since his rookie season. However, the end result was similar to the previous year as Fiss was once again nominated to the Pro Bowl in 1963. His final season as a regular starter at linebacker came in the Browns’ championship season in 1964.

He would go on to play two additional seasons serving in the reserve linebacker role starting seven games over his final two years as a member of the Browns. After the 1966 season, Fiss opted to retire as a Brown instead of attempting to further his career elsewhere.

Fiss’s ability to use his athleticism to evade would-be blockers gave him an advantage against the run. Instead of using the bowling ball approach to knock down the pins in front of him, Fiss knew what angles to take to slip past blockers to get to the ball. Although tackles were not a recorded stat during Fiss’ career, he made a fair amount of his behind the line of scrimmage.

His athleticism also proved to serve him well against opposing teams’ passing attacks. Over the course of his career, Fiss recorded 13 interceptions. Fiss also recovered 18 fumbles during his playing career which ranks as the third most fumble recoveries by a Browns defender.

Fiss passed away in 2006 in his home state of Kansas. He was later inducted posthumously to the Browns Legends Program in 2013 and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

Galen Fiss is the best player to wear number 35 for the Cleveland Browns.

Honorable mention: Bo Scott.