The story of the Cleveland Browns starts with its first coach, Paul Brown, from whom the team got its name. The franchise began in 1946 when Cleveland got to start a team in the old All-American Football Conference. The Browns were so dominant in that league that they were invited into the NFL by 1950.
Recently, there was a story from CBS Sports that ranked NFL coaches all-time. Brown was ranked fourth behind Bill Walsh (No. 3), Vince Lombardi (No. 2), and Bill Belichick (No. 1). The rankings were determined by six CBS Sports writers who each ranked their top 20 greatest NFL coaches.
When discussing Brown's success with his Cleveland teams of the past, CBS Sports writer Bryan DeArdo uncovered some historical facts that most fans may not know:
"Arguably the most innovative coach in NFL history, Brown is credited with creating practice squads, the draw play and the modern facemask. The first coach to hire a staff of full-time assistants, Brown is also the first coach to use game film to scout the opposition. Brown is also credited with helping break pro football's color barrier."
I found it interesting to note that Brown eventually went on to found the Cincinnati Bengals after being fired then-Browns owner Art Modell. In turn, Brown hired Walsh as an assistant coach with the Bengals back in the early 1970s.
As for Brown and his legendary and inventive ways, it really is something to admire and see how so many of his inventions are still used in the NFL today. When you study Brown's past as a coach, you quickly learn that he thought of the mental part of the game as being just as important as the physical part.
Paul Brown helped invent the modern NFL
Brown expected his players to learn the game through an actual playbook. That approach wasn't common around the league until Brown started writing down plays on paper that his players were expected to study when they weren't on the field. He was also credited with using game film to help prepare for the opponent. That hadn't been tried until he used it with his teams.
Brown approached the game like a chess match, always looking for ways to gain an edge over his opponent. He even helped create a communication system where part of his staff sat above the field of play and called down to Brown on a phone to discuss what was being seen on the field. That kind of communication is now universally used in the NFL, with headsets and other forms of communication being used continually during games.
If Brown and his Cleveland teams could have added to their eight previous championships (5 in the AAFC and 3 in the NFL) with a couple of Super Bowl wins (the Super Bowl started in 1967), then I think we would be having a different conversation between Brown and Bill Belichick as to who should really be the true No. 1 ranked NFL coach of all time.
For fans of the Browns, it's nice to know that your team's original creator and coach made such a dramatic mark on the NFL. Despite a lack of Super Bowl wins to hang your hats on, it's nice to know your team had one of the greatest innovators in football history.
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