In preperation for the Browns big Monday Night Football game next week, we are going to get pumped up with a list that should get every Browns fan thinking. Here are my favorite Cleveland Browns of all-time. They may be on the list because they were great players or just because for whatever reason we loved seeing them play. The list only consists of players I actually saw play so no Brian Sipe or Leroy Kelly since I can’t really like them if I never actually rooted for them.
Honorable Mention: Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Josh Cribbs. I like them all but way to early to make a top ten list of all-time. Ozzie Newsome, would be on the list but he built Baltimore into a Super Bowl champion so he will never be on a favorites list.
10. Scott Player – the picture is all you need to know. And remember that blocked field goal on the final play of the game against Oakland last year? I thought he was going to die trying to run that ball back.
9. Bob Golic – He was a hometown boy and I had his autograph so that helped. Plus he was the coolest RA ever. Today, however, he has lost a ton of weight but he head continues to grow. He is starting to look like Mr. Mackey.
8. Kevin Mack - My roommate in college last name was Mack. His older brother was named Kevin. So you could say I know Kevin Mack personally. I think people would have better memories of Mack if he wasn’t a coke head and Ernest Byner didn’t fumble. They were an awesome backfield.
7. Clay Matthews - I think he played until he was 67. What’s not to love about a white linebacker with that kind of face mask.
6. Leroy Hoard/Pepper Johnson – I think they both only played a season. However, my brother got both their jerseys when the Browns moved to Baltimore for like 15 cents. They are great jerseys to own since no one else has them and no one remembers they were on the Browns.
5. Webster Slaughter/Reggie Langhorne – Come on. How many times as a kid did you do the Slaughter/Langhorn jumping high five? That was the coolest thing around.
4. Brian Brennan - The forgotten receiver on the Browns in the 80s. I don’t know it was because he is white or because he couldn’t jump high enough to make the Slaughter/Langhorn high five the Slaughter/Langhorn/Brennen high five. He would have been a hero for his go-ahead touchdown catch against the Broncos if wasn’t for the Drive the followed.
(List interuption side note: Watching the Kentucky/Alabama game Saturday, Brian Griese was talking about this white reciever on UK named Lions. He called Lions a real football player and “his more than a possession white reciever.” Really? That’s allowed? If he was to say about black reciever, “he’s more than a fast, high jumping reciever” he would have lost his job. Why is it okay to stereotype white people but not black people?)
3. Michael Dean Perry – Not only was he a beast on the defensive line, but he had an awesome sandwich at McDonald’s.
2. Eric Metcalf – I’ll always remember his two punt returns against Pittsburgh. I’ll always remember “Metcalf up the middle.” And I’ll always remember meeting him.
1. Bernie Kosar – Obviously this guy is number one. He has to be on everyone’s list. Not only was he a great quarterback, but now he is a great alcoholic announcer.
Everyone sing it with me:
“Bernie, Bernie.
He’s our man.
Bernie, Bernie
Ohh, Ohhh
Super Bowl.”
I like the post. Scott Player is awesome.
I don’t get the city’s love affair with Bernie. The guy accomplished nothing in Cleveland other than being labeled the town drunk.
While watching the Browns/Bingles game two weeks ago, I saw some guy with a Michael Dean Perry jersey on. I was impressed.
Man, how good of a find were those jerseys. I always get “Didn’t Pepper Johnson play for the Giants?”
Brian Brennan is higher on the list for me. Without him we wouldnt have the likes of Brandon Stokley, Ed McCaffrey, Anthony Gonzalez, Kevin Curtis, Wes Welker.
How about LEast Favorite Browns (since I can’t think of anyone else besides Ben Gay and Tommy Vardell for favorites):
1. Charlie Frye
2. Dwayne Rudd (not for the helmet throw but who spells wayne with a d in front)
3. Paul Ernster (who is he without looking it up)
4. Gerard Warren
5. Tim Couch
Oh Yeah – how the hell could you leave off Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield
yeah ben gay has to atleast get an honorable mention in there…
scott, why would couch be in your least favorite?? he put up pretty good numbers for getting sacked every other down.
Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield were on the list but cut at the last minute for the Leroy Hoard/Pepper Johnson combo.
Eric Turner was another guy cut in final cuts. He could have been the next Ronnie Lot if injuries didn’t cut his career short.
Also Phil Dawson and Kevin Johnson were close to making the list as members of the “new” Browns.
Ben Gay could have been an honorable mention but he is more on the list of dudes with sweet names than favorite Browns.
I like Couch. He’d never be on my least favorite list.
Travis Prentice should be #1.
Great list, although I might point out that it was Reggie Langhorne not Antonio Langhorne. I think you are thinking about one of the Browns worst first round picks, corner Antonio Langham.
Graig, the Browns were one of the NFL’s best teams with Bernie at the helm in the late 80s. I know they never won the big one or even got there, but they had some great teams and were a lot of fun to watch. And he was a hometown kid.
Minnifeild and Dixon need to be on this list. What about Michael Jackson-Dyson? Or the greatest backup in history Mike Pagel.
Your are right Damman. I don’t know how I got Antonio and Reggie confused or how no one else pointed it out sooner.
Michael Jackson!!! I forgot all about him. He was awesome.
How about Andre Risen? We had him for a year too. That was pretty sweet.
Dyson was also a least favorite. He blew. Tim Couch was awful the only year his team made the playoffs was when Ty Detmer started. Hmmm..Donovan McNabb or Tim Couch??? I think death cut Eric Turner’s career short. I didnt even notice the Antonio Langhorne error, unforgivable.
Bernie Kosar looks like Al Bundy in that picture.
Scott – thanks for clearing up the Eric Turner injury. I couldn’t remember what it was.
I don’t know the answer to this, but was Bernie raised in Cleveland? If so, how did he end up at The U?
Jim Donovan has to be wearing a rug.
He is from born and raised in Youngstown. Went to Boardman I believe. I have no idea how he ended up at Miami.
I know I’ve been gone for a long time but I just couldn’t take the 1500 word essays on who sucks more, OSU or Michigan on the message board. Hanford/Minnie would be in my top three. Not a big fan of Hoard/P Johnson because those were Belicheck’s boys and those teams were as bad to watch as Butch Davis’s teams.
Notice how Scott Player is hugging the lineman hoping the play will be blown dead before he gets crushed. I’ve never seen a ball carrier do that before. HOF material.
Did anyone notice Courtney Brown is still in the league and got a high five from Jerry Jones on Sunday?