Cleveland Browns: 20 best draft day steals of all-time

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PITTSBURGH, PA – CIRCA 1974: Head coach Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the sidelines during an NFL football game circa `1974 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Noll was the head coach of the Steelers from 1969-91. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Dayton, 1953. ChuckNoll. 9. Pick Analysis. G. player. 53. Scouting Report

Cleveland Browns best NFL Draft steals of all time: 9. Chuck Noll

When the name Chuck Noll is mentioned, the first team that comes to mind is the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. And that’s understandable considering he was the head coach of the Browns’ biggest rival from 1969 through 1991.

During that time, Noll won four Super Bowls for the Steelers but what is often forgotten about with Noll is that he started his career with the Cleveland Browns as a linebacker. Noll came out of Dayton after missing out on his dream school of Notre Dame.

He was taken in the 20th round of the 1953 NFL Draft and Noll tasted success immediately. Cleveland was in the NFL Championship Game during his rookie season where they lost to the Detroit Lions. However, they won the title the following two seasons.

Noll was moved from linebacker to guard and was given the role of “messenger” where he would shuttle the plays in from head coach Paul Brown to the quarterback. He was constantly praised for his intelligence, Brown even saying Noll could simply call the plays on his own.

For nine seasons, Noll was with Cleveland and he decided when he lost his starting job in 1959 that it was time to hang up the cleats and get into coaching. As good as he was playing the game, Noll was insurmountably better as a coach.

He spent time as an assistant with the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Colts but was a head coach with only the Steelers.

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