Listen to Sunday Insider with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore tonight at 8 p.m. His guest is The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto.

Listen to Sunday Insider with clevleand.com's Glenn Moore, tonight at 8 p.m. 

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Browns safety Tashaun Gipson suffered a shoulder injury on a collision with Josh Gordon, but coach Rob Chudzinski isn't concerned about it. Montario Hardesty sat out with a hamstring injury.

Defensive back Tashaun Gipson collides with the leg of wide receiver Josh Gordon, right, as he gets bent backward on an inadvertent hit when Gipson falls down in front of a running Gordon as Joe Haden (L) pursues on the play.  John Kunt, The Plain Dealer

Ohio State now has 15 pledges for the Class of 2014, and four of them are offensive linemen.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Offensive line depth is Urban Meyer's biggest worry this season. That shouldn't be the case in years to come.

The Buckeyes received their fourth offensive line pledge in the Class of 2014 with the oral commitment of Texas four-star lineman Demetrius Knox on Sunday night. The Buckeyes landed just two offensive linemen in the Class of 2013 and one of them, Tim Gardner, has already been dismissed from the team for at least this season.

So offensive line was the first priority for 2014 and Ohio State has succeeded in addressing the issue.

I commit to THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES #TheDream14 LETS GO!! pic.twitter.com/hqAFMEMaC8

— BIG MEECH (@Ummm_Mr_Knox) July 28, 2013

Knox, a 6-foot-4, 287-pounder from Fort Worth, joins Glenville's Marcelys Jones, Kyle Trout of Lancaster, Ohio, and Chicago's Jamarco Jones in this offensive line group. Knox had offers from almost every major school, from Alabama to Oregon to Michigan to LSU to Notre Dame to Oklahoma. He's ranked as the No. 1 offensive guard in 2014 according to Rivals.com and the No. 87 overall prospect.

He brings Ohio State's 2014 class to 15 players, eight of which, according to Rivals, are four-star prospects. Rivals now has Ohio State ranked as the No. 9 class in the country.

Scout.com and 247sports both have Ohio State at No. 6 in the class rankings.

This year's Cleveland Indians team is better than last year's and will not fade in August.

Justin Masterson has gone from one of the worst starters in the league last year to one of the best this year.Tony Dejak, Associated Press 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking to myself about the Tribe as the dreaded month of August looms .¤.¤.

Question: Do you think it will happen again?

Answer: What?

Q: You know exactly what. It was nearly a year ago — July 27, 2012 — that it began for the Indians.

A: I knew you would bring it up.

Q: On that date, the Indians were 3½ games out of first place in the American League Central Division. They had just beaten Justin Verlander, 5-3. Then you know what happened, right?

A: They lost the final four games in July. They were 5-24 in August. By Sept. 1, they were 55-77 and 17½ games behind the Tigers. OK, Mr. Sunshine, what’s the point?

Q: Why get excited about the Tribe when stuff like that happens?

A: On the day they beat Verlander last year, what was the Tribe’s record?

Q: OK, what?

A: It was 50-49.

Q: So what?

A: So they were “in contention,” with basically a .500 record. This team is three games behind the Tigers, but its record is 56-48. It’s a better team than a year ago.

Q: That’s what you say.

A: I say that after 104 games last season, the Tribe was 50-54. The boat was sinking fast. This 56-48 team is on a four-game winning streak and is 5-4 since the All-Star break.

Q: Given the recent history, do you really trust this team?

A: Only 12 of 25 players who appeared in games last August are still with the team. They have a new manager with a strong record of winning in Terry Francona. I repeat, it’s a better team.

Q: But the same thing happened in 2011 — they played like miniature poodles in the dog days of August.

A: Did they?

Q: Hey, I’m asking the questions here .¤.¤.

A: Their record was 15-13 in August 2011.

Q: Really?

A: They were 12-17 in September to finish at 27-30 after Aug. 1. But the Tigers were 38-16 in that same span. The Indians were mediocre; the Tigers were great.

Q: Can’t that happen again — the Tigers taking over?

A: They could. They have won seven of eight. They are 59-45. They tend to finish strong because they have a deep rotation and their lineup destroys most pitchers.

Q: So why not just write about Brandon Weeden and the 3-4 defense every day?

A: Because this is an interesting Tribe team. You can say Nick Swisher is a bust, but I would rather watch him than Casey Kotchman or Shelly Duncan. In August 2012, the following were in the regular lineup: Zeke Carrera, Brent Lillibridge, Jack Hannahan, Kotchman and Duncan.

Q: Really?

A: There are only four nonpitchers still on the active roster from a year ago: Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera. Lonnie Chisenhall was injured at this point last season.

Q: Your point?

A: The only significant loss from the 2012 lineup was Shin-Soo Choo, who is hitting .285 with 14 home runs, 33 RBI and 11 steals as the leadoff man for the Reds. A case can be made that Brantley (.283, seven HR, 51 RBI) is turning into the next Choo.

Q: Oh, please.

A: Players such as Michael Bourn, Yan Gomes, Ryan Raburn, Mike Aviles, Swisher, Drew Stubbs and even the slumping Mark Reynolds are a major upgrade over what was available last season. Reynolds can go to the bench because of the presence of more veterans. They don’t have to play someone such as Kipnis (.180 last August) every day if he looks tired.

Q: Are you on the Tribe payroll?

A: Are you paying attention? Are you being fair? A year ago, Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez were two of the worst starters in baseball. They combined for a 20-32 record and a 5.22 ERA. This season, they .¤.¤.

Q: I know — they are better.

A: They are a combined 20-12. They just pitched back-to-back games against Texas, didn’t allow a run. This team has 14 shutouts this season! Scott Kazmir, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister .¤.¤. never thought I’d say it, but the Indians have the third-best pitching rotation in the American League in the past 40 games.

Q: Don’t they have games in which they don’t hit and seem too streaky?

A: I agree. But a year ago, they had an 18-35 record when a lefty started. This season, they are 20-14. They do strike out too much, but they are fourth in runs scored in the American League. And they are only fifth in strikeouts.

Q: Do you really think they can beat the Tigers?

A: A year ago, the Indians were 13th in runs scored. That’s right, 13th. They had the third-fewest strikeouts, but so what? They didn’t score runs. This team also can run. It leads the league in scoring from second base on singles — and from going from first to third on singles. Speed is more than stolen bases, and they also rank fourth in that department.

Q: But about the Tigers .¤.¤.

A: The Tribe’s 3-9 record against Detroit has been a killer. Detroit’s rotation has the best ERA in the American League. It is second in runs scored. Its bullpen (4.02 ERA) is iffy, just like the Tribe (4.04). It is the superior team.

Q: So the Tribe won’t win the division, right?

A: But they should be able to stay in contention. Things happen. Stars are injured .¤.¤. or suspended. More importantly, I think the Tribe can hang around and have some meaningful games in September.

Q: That’s it?

A: Well, there’s always the wild card — and a fun team to watch. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seen and heard Sunday afternoon as the Indians and Rangers wrapped a three-game series at Progressive Field: Clubhouse confidential: The Indians are enjoying themselves at Progressive Field. The Indians extended their home winning streak to a season-high seven games with a 6-0 victory over Texas on Sunday afternoon. They have not lost at home since July...

Cleveland Indians center fielder Michael Bourn has a six-game hitting streak.Tony Dejak, Associated Press 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seen and heard Sunday afternoon as the Indians and Rangers wrapped a three-game series at Progressive Field:

Clubhouse confidential: The Indians are enjoying themselves at Progressive Field.

The Indians extended their home winning streak to a season-high seven games with a 6-0 victory over Texas on Sunday afternoon. They have not lost at home since July 10 against Toronto.

The Tribe is 33-19 at home, including 31-13 since April 30 -- the second-best home record in the majors in that span. The Tribe is four home victories shy of matching its total from last season.

Hot hitters: Indians center fielder Michael Bourn went 1-for-4 with a walk and two-run double. He has hit in six straight (7-for-24) with two homers and 10 RBI. Catcher Yan Gomes went 3-for-4 with a double and RBI. He is hitting .368 (14-for-38) in his last 10 games.

One for the books: On Saturday night at Progressive Field, Bourn led off the first inning with a homer as part of a 1-0 victory over Texas. According to STATS LLC and Elias, it marked the first time in Cleveland franchise history that the club won a 1-0 game with a leadoff homer (home or road).

STATS LLC reported it was just the 23rd time since 1900 that a team has won in such a fashion, the second this season. Elias reported that Saturday marked the second date in MLB history to feature four 1-0 games (Sept. 2, 2001).

Duf and Stuf: PGA Tour standout and Northeast Ohio product Jason Dufner threw out a ceremonial first pitch. He visited with, among others, Mark Reynolds and Drew Stubbs in the Tribe clubhouse before the game.

Stat of the day: Nick Swisher was 3-for-5 -- his fourth three-hit game this season, first at Progressive Field.

Watch as the hitting intensified in Berea as the Cleveland Browns donned full pads for the first time during training camp.

BEREA, Ohio --  A record crowd of 4,466 Cleveland Browns fans in Berea were treated to more intense hitting as they dressed in full pads for the first time during the 2013 Training Camp.

One of the standouts of the day was running back Dion Lewis who wowed the crowd several times with his speed and moves.

Follow on Twitter: @CLEvideos

Ryan Raburn is having fun playing for the Cleveland Indians, and playing some very good baseball as well.

Indians right fielder Ryan Raburn makes a great catch of a drive off the bat of the Rangers' Mitch Moreland on Sunday.Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ryan Raburn's main goal entering this season had nothing to do with statistics. It had everything to do with emotionally distancing himself from the events of the previous season.

"I wanted to have as much fun as possible, to get back to enjoying the game I've enjoyed my whole life,'' he said. "Last year was such a grind, I almost forgot how much fun the game is.''

Raburn is smiling again -- and he hasn't even needed regular playing time to do so. Raburn, a reserve outfielder for the Indians, is hitting .268 with 11 homers and 31 RBI in 164 at-bats over 59 games. He is slugging .543.

Raburn started in right field Sunday and went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Tribe's 6-0 victory over Texas. His highlight came in the field.

Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland led off the eighth inning against Ubaldo Jimenez with a drive deep to center. Raburn fully extended to make the catch on the run as he crashed into the wall, not far from the Tribe bullpen.

When the ball left the bat, Raburn did not appear to have a chance. Center fielder Michael Bourn was in closer proximity and is much faster, but there was a problem.

"Bourny didn't see it,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Raburn said: "I knew it was more Bourny's ball, but when I glanced over at him, he had no idea. He lost it in the sky. So I just took off and gave it my best effort.''

Raburn stayed on his back on the track for several seconds. Then he opened the glove, showed the ball and flipped it to Bourn.

"I wasn't hurt at all,'' Raburn said. "It was more funny than anything. Sometimes, when you're not getting hits, you've got to contribute defensively.''

Raburn entered the day as the only American League player with 11-plus homers in fewer than 200 at-bats. His production is in stark contrast to that of 2012. In 66 games for the Detroit Tigers, he batted .171 with one homer and 12 RBI. He dealt with an assortment of injuries and lost the second-base job.

"It was just one of those years where everything that could go wrong, did,'' he said.

The Tigers released him in November, ending a relationship that had begun in 2001 when Raburn was their fifth-round pick. Raburn hit .256 with 54 homers in 566 games for Detroit. In each of three seasons from 2009-2011, he played at least 113 games and hit at least 14 homers.

"Through all that happened last year, I never questioned my ability,'' Raburn said. "I knew I could still play. I really wanted another chance to show it.''

Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti and Francona called Raburn over the winter. The Indians were not willing to offer a roster spot, but Antonetti and Francona conveyed to Raburn how much they wanted him to compete for one in camp.

"Those two calls set the Indians apart from other teams I was interested in,'' Raburn said. "For Tito and Chris to take the time to do that went a long way, especially after the year I just had. Tito expressed how they felt about me as a player, and how they would love for me to be a part of this team. He said I would be a great fit.''

When the call for a guaranteed spot never came from another team, Raburn signed with Cleveland as a minor-league free agent Jan. 21, 2013. He performed well in spring training and made the club.

"I'd played against a lot of these guys, and I knew the talent in this room,'' Raburn said. "And from everything I'd heard about Tito, as a manager and person, it almost seemed like a no-brainer. From the first day I got here, I was glad I took the chance with this organization.''

Raburn's teammates compliment him for the tangibles and intangibles. They say they enjoyed watching him with the Tigers because of his professionalism and grit. Raburn's old-school mentality has been a hit in the clubhouse.

"I'm not going to be setting records, but if I can put a good impression on people concerning how I played this game, how I went about my business, then I think I have accomplished something,'' he said. "The respect you get from your peers and the guys you played against mean a lot more than some of the accolades you get.''

Raburn has started 33 games in right, six in left, two at second and five as designated hitter.

He's back: Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers pitched a scoreless seventh. It was his first work of the series for various reasons, including the condition of his head.

Late Thursday night, Scheppers suffered a bruised left eye after he said he was "sucker punched'' by a person in a group of young men a few blocks from the team hotel.

"It's one of those things ... I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Scheppers told MLB.com before Saturday night's game. "It happened so quickly. The police were called. They said unfortunately this happens quite a bit."

Scheppers did not pitch Friday night because of a headache. He said the men scattered when he hit the ground. He added that he was not robbed and no police report was filed.

On Sunday, Cleveland police spokesman Sgt. Sammy Morris sent out an email with more details regarding the incident. Here is what the email read:

"The preliminary investigation reveals that on Friday, July 26, at approximately 2:30 a.m. Texas Rangers pitcher Tanner Scheppers was involved in a physical altercation at Panini's Bar located on W. 6th Street. Further investigation reveals that the altercation was called in by Downtown Alliance workers and that Third District officers responded to the scene to investigate. Once on scene, officers attempted to get information from Scheppers for a report; however, he refused to provide information and refused to make a police report. Further, officers called for EMS and he refused medical attention and EMS was disregarded. The officers then conveyed Scheppers and another male to the Rangers' team hotel. There is nothing further at this time."

Plain Dealer reporter Paul Hoynes contributed to this article.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

On Twitter: dmansworld474

The Cl;eveland Indians face the Chicato White Sox in a four-game series at Progressive Field starting Monday.

Zach McAllister will take the mound for the Cleveland Indians on Monday.Elaine Thompson, Associated Press 

Where: Progressive Field.

When: Monday through Thursday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100; WMMS FM/100.7 today through Wednesday.

Pitching matchups: Indians RHP Zach McAllister (4-6, 3.57) vs. White Sox LHP John Danks (2-8, 4.81), Monday  at 7:05 p.m.; LHP Scott Kazmir (6-4, 3.96) vs. RHP Jake Peavy (8-4, 4.28), Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Corey Kluber (7-5, 3.74) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (5-3, 3.55), Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Justin Masterson (12-7, 3.42) vs. LHP Chris Sale (6-10, 2.69), Thursday, 12:05 p.m.

Season series: Indians lead, 7-2. White Sox lead, 1,048-1,007, overall.

Indians update: They have outscored White Sox, 52-33. Among those who have performed well in series are 2B Jason Kipnis (7-for-20), CF Michael Bourn (7-for-21), OF Michael Brantley (9-for-28) and Masterson (3 GS, 3-0, 0.72). Masterson has given up 15 hits and struck out 20 in 25 innings. ... In previous series between the teams, June 28-30 in Chicago, Indians went 4-0. ... Masterson is coming off 7 2/3 strong innings in 1-0 victory over Texas.

White Sox update: They are in last place in AL Central, a major disappointment after pushing Detroit last season. White Sox who have performed well against Cleveland this year include INF Jeff Keppinger (16-for-35), INF Conor Gillaspie (10-for-25), OF Alejandro De Aza (10-for-33), Quintana (3 GS, 1-0, 3.00) and Peavy (1 GS, 1-0, 1.29). Sale is 0-2 with an 8.03 ERA. ... In his last 10 starts overall, Sale is 1-8 with a 2.83 ERA.

Injuries: Indians -- RHP Josh Tomlin (elbow), RHP Frank Herrmann (elbow), RHP Brett Myers (shoulder) and CA Lou Marson (right shoulder) are on 60-day disabled list. White Sox -- RHP Gavin Floyd (elbow) is on 60-day DL; RHP Jesse Crain (shoulder), RHP Brian Omogrosso (right triceps) and OF Dewayne Wise (right oblique) are on 15-day DL.

Next: Three-game trip begins Friday night against Marlins in Miami.

Frank Lobello came to the National Senior Games from Illinois, but he was born in Akron.

Frank Lobello used to do mountain biking before he switched to road racing. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Frank Lobello came to Cleveland from Gurnee, Ill., to compete in Saturday’s 40K bike race through the streets of downtown at the National Senior Games. Lobello, 66, is a longtime mountain biker. 

1. Do you have a local connection?

“I live in Gurnee, Ill., but I was born in Akron.”

2. How did you start in the Senior Games?

“I did this on a dare and qualified for the Games when I was in Wisconsin. .¤.¤. I was mountain biking for 10 years after being told by my doctor that I had high blood pressure. I couldn’t run because of [an] ACL surgery that I had when I was an end for the University of Akron in the ’60s. Mountain biking became my passion, but I started road cycling, even though the ground is softer to fall on than asphalt.”

3. What is the appeal of competing in the Senior Games?

“[Laughing] Once you get into this, it reminds you of what you used to be able to do when you were younger.”

4. What is your training schedule?

“I ride 30 miles a day, seven days a week. I do light weights because cycling is tough on bone density.”

5. What are your memories of Cleveland?

“Back in the ’60s, we would buy tickets in the old Cleveland Indians stadium and then move down later in the game to seats right on the third-base line. The ushers didn’t care.”

                                                                                                 — Christopher Siders,

                                                                                            Special to The Plain Dealer

Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger was one of the players that showed up during the first practice in full pads.

Cleveland Browns linebacker Paul Kruger works the blocking pad and his footwork during defensive drills in day four of training camp on Sunday. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- When the pads went on Sunday, Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger went pop.

Which exactly what you'd expect from your new $40 million man, one who received a whopping $21 million signing bonus with his new five-year deal.

Kruger has flown under the radar since his blockbuster signing in March, but on a cool Sunday in Berea, he was as hot as any player on the field, rushing from both sides and giving six-time Pro Bowler Joe Thomas all he could handle at times.

"I think he's one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL,'' said Thomas after the first practice in full pads. "I think he's a fantastic addition for us. He's going to do great things.''

Rookie linebacker Barkevious Mingo has been wide-eyed just watching Kruger explode off the ball.

"I’m just going to say Paul Kruger’s a beast,'' Mingo said. "The guy’s good and I just love watching the way he plays the game. The stuff that he does, it blows all of us away. And a lot of us try to emulate what he does, but it’s something that only he can do.''

Thomas is most excited about the fact the Browns caught lightning in a bottle, with Kruger defecting from the Ravens in his prime. At 27, he's started only seven NFL games and is just scratching the surface.

"I'm really excited because he still has room to get better, which is pretty impressive for a guy that's already one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL,'' said Thomas. "We got him really at the right time because he's still on the upswing as far as his career goes.''

If Sunday is any indication, Kruger will provide good tuneup for Thomas to fend off the likes off Baltimore's Terrell Suggs and other premier pass-rushers in the NFL. Kruger has been practicing mostly on his natural left side, but swapped sides with Jabaal Sheard for half the reps yesterday.

"It's a good matchup (against Kruger),'' Thomas said. "We're going to get each other better and we're going to get each other ready because you can see he's a terrific pass-rusher. The more great players you can can against in training camp, the better you're going to be prepared for the season.''

The growing respect between Kruger and Thomas is a far cry from last season, when Kruger accused Thomas of flopping on a crucial fourth-down play in Baltimore to draw a costly penalty on Kruger. The Browns were unable to cash in, but Kruger was steamed nonetheless.

"I (kidded him) when I first got out here, but not really anymore,'' said Kruger. "It's kind of in the past now, but it was a funny situation. Joe's a good guy. He's got a good sense of humor.''

He's also a likely future Hall of Famer for Kruger to hone his skills against.

"Joe's an awesome player,'' said Kruger. "He's great to go against because it prepares you for the top guys in the league. He's becoming a friend to me and I have a lot of respect for him as a player. It's definitely a good little competition there.''

If all goes as planned, Thomas and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz will help develop Kruger into the every down player that the Ravens apparently didn't think he could be. Kruger broke out with nine sacks in the regular season and 4.5 in the playoffs, but was still viewed as a situational pass-rusher.

"It's huge for me,'' he said. "It's something I've been looking forward to this season. I really want to come out here and prove something, not only for myself but for the team, so it's a big deal.''

Critics charged that Kruger was only a shadow of himself when Terrell Suggs wasn't on the field in Baltimore. With Suggs out, Kruger had four sacks. When Suggs returned, he had 9.5 in 12 games, including playoffs. But here Kruger has Sheard opposite him now, and will also have Mingo at times.

"Jabaal is an extremely physical guy, just really powerful,'' said Kruger. "You can see in practice, he's usually on the right side going against Joe, and he's giving him some trouble. He's fast, he's physical and I think this style of defense is really a good fit for him. I think he's going to be a breakout player this year for sure.''

He's also been impressed with first-round pick Mingo, and more than happy to help him out. He also thinks he'll be appear on the field in certain formations with both Sheard and Mingo, who's behind Sheard on the depth chart.

"Mingo is doing all the right things,'' he said. "He really is. I'm not just saying that. He's a guy who works hard, he has the good discipline, he's extremely talented, athletic, he's just got all the right attributes, so I think you can expect some big things from him.''

Kruger got most of his 13.5 sacks while lined up on the left side last season -- against the right tackle -- but is willing to take on the more formidable left tackle whenever asked.

"Yeah, I'm comfortable,'' he said. "I'm probably a little more comfortable on the lefthand side. But again, that's just a matter of taking the time to get over there and practice it.''

After about 20 practices with old AFC North rivals, he's convinced this defense stacks up against the Ravens' daunting unit.

"I think we're right there with them, honestly,'' he said. "I'm not just saying that. We've got some really fast linebackers. They're smart, and they're fast and they can cover. Joe Haden and the other corners are covering extremely well right now. There's a lot of good things that you can look forward to.''

And even though the Ravens have dominated the rivalry, Kruger wasn't surprised at the level of talent when he arrived.

"I had no doubt it would be the case,'' he said. "There are a lot of talented guys on this defense. Great teams can emerge at any time, so I'm really excited about this year. I think we can do some big things.''

The Columbus Clippers and Akron Aeros both lost in action on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A look at Sunday’s action of the Cleveland Indians’ minor-league teams: 

Class AAA: Durham 4, Columbus: Bulls starter Jake Odorizzi (8-4, 3.38 ERA) gave up just two hits and no runs in seven innings, with seven strikeouts and two walks, to keep the host Clippers at bay.

Class AA: Richmond 2, Akron 0: The host Aeros could manage only three hits against Flying Squirrels starter Edwin Escobar (2-2, 3.00), who struck out nine and walked two in 7Ð innings. 

Class A Advanced: Carolina 1, Wilmington 0: SS Erik Gonzalez (.250) hit an RBI single in the fourth inning for the game’s lone run to give the visiting Mudcats the victory against the Blue Rocks. Carolina starter Cody Anderson (8-3, 2.43) went five innings, giving up no runs on three hits with four strikeouts and four walks.

Class A: Lake County 5, Great Lakes 4: With the score tied, 4-4, in the eighth, 1B Joseph Sever (.302) launched a solo home run to left field, and the visiting Captains held on to beat the Loons.

Class A Short-season: Mahoning Valley 7, Williamsport 6: The host Scrappers erupted for six runs in the eighth and ninth innings to overtake the Crosscutters. CF Cody Ferrell (.244) and DH Claudio Bautista (.280) both went 2-for-4 and scored two runs apiece.

Independent: Lake Erie 9, Evansville 8 (14): he Crushers banged out 16 hits and broke an 8-8 tie with a run in the 14th to top the host Otters. 

Lewis received few offensive touches in two seasons with Philadelphia

Dion Lewis finds some running room as Brian Sanford gives chase at Cleveland Browns training camp.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer 

BEREA, Ohio – Dion Lewis turned a routine catch during a red-zone drill Sunday into a highlight-reel move that would earn the approval of Eric Metcalf and Kyrie Irving.

The diminutive Browns running back snared a Jason Campbell pass in the right flat and squared up on defensive back Kenronte Walker at the 5 yard line. Lewis gave the rookie a juke to the right, a ridiculous fake that brought Walker to his knees and drew “oohs” from a crowd of 4,466 fans. Lewis cut back to his left and scored easily.

Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden was asked if he saw the play that Walker must pray never finds its way to YouTube.

“I did,” Weeden said grinning. “I can’t wait to see it again in about an hour.”

Lewis has impressed coaches and teammates the past two days with his quickness, particularly on screens and swing passes. The reserve back, acquired from Philadelphia in an offseason trade for linebacker Emmanuel Acho, received additional reps Sunday with Montario Hardesty resting a hamstring injury.

The 22-year-old merited few touches offensively with the Eagles, buried behind LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown on the depth chart. Lewis was featured more prominently in his rookie season, returning 31 kickoffs for a 21.6 yard average.

In two seasons, he rushed for 171 yards on 36 attempts, while catching three passes for 21 yards. Despite the lack of offensive opportunities, Lewis said he never grew frustrated.

“I tried to be the best teammate I could and I never complained,” he said. “I just did whatever I was told and tried to help the team win in any way: scout team, special teams, whatever they told me to do, I just went out there and did it.”

Lewis will fight for playing time behind Trent Richardson. He’s in a crowded field with Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya and Brandon Jackson. He’s been most noticeable in space, catching passes and darting through holes on screens.

Coach Rob Chudzinski mentioned Lewis’ vision and his ability to stop and start. The 5-foot-7, 195-pounder believes he should always win one-on-one encounters in the opening field. His move on Walker evoked memories of Metcalf’s iconic touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in 1989.

Of course, Lewis’ deceptive steps were taken in training camp and not on Monday Night Football. But teammates are taking note of his acceleration.

“That guy has unbelievable feet – I mean unbelievable feet,” Weeden said. “ . . . I’d hate to be stuck in the open field with him. You get the ball in space with him, he could make you miss and look silly at times.”

Kenronte Walker knows the feeling.

Singer Pat Boone has always loved basketball, and he is playing in Cleveland at the National Senior Games.

Pat Boone, left, shares a light moment with teammate Al Cahill at the Cleveland State Recreation Center on Sunday.Peggy Turbett, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Taking the court in the National Senior Games on Sunday was Pat Boone.

Yes, that Pat Boone, the one who seemingly has been singing forever, the one who has sold more than 45 million albums in five decades.

“I’m 79,” Boone said. “Been playing basketball all my life. I love the game.”

Boone is in town playing for the Virginia Creepers in the men’s 75-79 age division. They began play at Cleveland State’s Recreation Center on Sunday. Play continues for the Creepers today at 9 a.m.

Boone said he was a point guard with “a fair shot” who could handle the ball at David Lipscomb High School in Nashville. After that, it was pickup games with friends.

But once upon a time, Boone threw in a 10-foot hook shot over Bill Russell.

“It was on the old ‘Tonight Show,’¤” he said. “I was the guest host for Johnny [Carson], and Bill had just been named player/coach of the Celtics. We set up a basket, and he was supposed to teach me a few things.”

Boone said Russell noticed he was right-handed, so he took a dribble to his left and threw up the hook.

Two points!

“I quit,” Russell said, laughing.

Boone and the audience insisted that Russell had a chance to score.

“Know what happened?” Boone asked.

He scored?

“Dunked on me,” said Boone.

Then what?

“Then we quit,” laughed Boone.

Well, he was at a height disadvantage against the 6-9 Hall of Fame center.

“I was 5-foot-11,” Boone said.

You were 5-11?

“My doctor measured me recently, and he said I was 5-9,” Boone said. “I lost 2 inches!”

Boone laughed again.

Part of the reason he keeps playing is because of the friendships and the stories.

“For a long time, I played full court,” he said. “It was fun. I sweated a lot. I’d lose 3 pounds. And I’m competitive. There still is that special feeling when you win a game.”

Even when the game is three-on-three, half-court? And even if he could get hurt?

“Injuries,” Boone said. “Let’s see, I broke my collarbone[gmc: cq: ]. I broke my nose at least twice. I broke at least six different bones playing basketball over the years.”

That’s in addition to the usual ankle sprains and muscle strains.

For someone who loves the game, it seems Boone would have wanted a piece of the pro action.

“I tried that,” he said.

Boone was the owner of the Oakland Oaks of the old American Basketball Association from 1967 to¤’69.

In his first season, Boone watched his Oaks finish with a 22-56 record. Their leading scorer was Levern “Jelly” Tart. The average attendance was 2,214.

“I knew we were in trouble,” Boone said. “We had a 3-point shooting contest, and I beat about half the players on the team!”

The Oaks were supposed to have (Hall of Famer) Rick Barry. He jumped from the NBA’s San Francisco Warriors across the Bay to Oakland. While some criticized Barry for being a contract breaker and a money grabber, there was something else behind the move.

Boone had hired Bruce Hale as his coach. Hale not only coached Barry in college, but also was Barry’s father in-law.

“Rick had to sit out a year before he could play,” Boone said. “With him, the next season, we won the title. We had a great team.”

Those Oaks featured Barry, Larry Brown, Doug Moe and Warren Jabali and were coached by Alex Hannum, a Hall of Famer. But their average attendance was still only 2,867.

“I loved it, but I was on the verge of bankruptcy,” Boone said. “Then I sold it to a group from Washington, D.C.”

How much did Boone lose?

“More than $3 million,” he said. “It nearly broke me.”

But he did have a championship ring, right?

“I still have it,” he said. “It’s made of glass.”

A $3 ring for $3 million? What a bargain.

“Here’s the bad part,” Boone said, laughing.

It gets worse?

“I was offered a chance to buy into the Dallas Mavericks, and later, the Phoenix Suns,” he said. “Both times, I passed. Those would have been great investments. I found it’s a lot more fun to play than be an owner.” 

To reach Terry Pluto: 

terrypluto2003@yahoo.com; 216-999-4674 

Previous columns online: 

cleveland.com/columns 

cleveland.com's Glenn Moore talked Browns and Indians on this week's edition of Sunday Insider. The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto called in to talk Browns.

Will Ray Horton make the Browns defense into one of the best in the league? Glenn Moore talked about this and more during this episode of Sunday Insider. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan) 

Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements tennis, table tennis and badminton.

View full sizeKen Marshall, The Plain Dealer

Learn more about race walk, which is being contested at 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters.

View full sizeSenior Games

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Each day we will spotlight one or two of the 19 medal-contested sports being held at the National Senior Games throughout Cleveland.

Up today is race walk.

Dates of competition: Tuesday, 1,500 meters; Wednesday, 5,000 meters. Both events begin at 8 a.m. and have a rain date the following day. See detailed schedule at cleveland.com/national-senior-games online.

Where: The 1,500 is at Baldwin Wallace University’s George Finnie Stadium (141 E. Bagley Road, Berea). The 5,000 is on Erieside Avenue behind FirstEnergy Stadium (100 Alfred Lerner Way, Cleveland).

Notable: Competitors must maintain contact with the ground with one foot at all times, in accordance with race walking rules. Additionally, racers must keep their leading leg straight from the time their foot touches the ground until it passes under their body.

Who to watch: Robert Ferguson of Michigan, who will compete in both events in the 80-84 age division, comes to Cleveland as the two-time defending champion in his age division for both events. In the 2011 National Senior Games, Ferguson set the 80-84 age division record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 33:22. Donna Graham of Lowell, Ohio, became just the second woman in Games history, regardless of age, to finish the 5,000 in less than 30 minutes when she won the 60-64 age division in 2011 with a time of 29:44. She will look to defend both her gold medals in the 60-64 age division this week.

Did you know: Maurine Lia of Missouri competed in her first National Senior Games in 1991. Since then, Lia has set three age division records. She will compete in both events in the 80-84 age division this week.

— Teddy Cahill, Special to The Plain Dealer

Watch as Joe Thomas talks about his dream of playing in the playoffs at First Energy Stadium.

BEREA, Ohio --  Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas is in his seventh season with the Browns and longs for the day when he can walk out of the tunnel at FirstEnergy Stadium for a playoff game.

Thomas, a six time Pro Bowler, has seen many changes with the Browns since he was drafted in 2007 including 4 head coaches and 10 starting quarterbacks.

Follow on Twitter: @CLEvideos

Join cleveland.com's Glenn Moore as he talks Browns with The Plain Dealer's Tom Reed tonight at 9 p.m.

Talk Browns tonight at 9 p.m. as Glenn Moore and his guest recap today's practice. (PD) 

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During his career, Brown earned the reputation as the greatest running back ever. He maintains that distinction now, nearly a half-century since his final game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A countdown of the top 100 players in Cleveland
Browns history. Players must have spent at least four seasons with the
Browns. The ranking is based only on players' careers with the Browns.

No. 2, JIM BROWN, running back, 1957-65

It's been nearly a half-century since Jim Brown played his last game. Yet, his lofty standing in football history remains unchanged. Occasionally the pundits see a promising running back and wonder if he might be "the next Jim Brown." Most experts believe that player has not yet arrived on the NFL stage.

The countdown of the top 100 players in Browns history concluded with a poll asking which player should be ranked first, Jim Brown or Otto Graham.

Brown played his last game at the age of 29. He played nine seasons, all with the Browns, and was first-team all-NFL eight years and second-team the other year. He won MVP awards in 1957, 1958, 1963 and 1965 -- his final season -- and made the Pro Bowl all nine years.

Brown's statistics speak for themselves but to fully appreciate his talents, one had to see him play. The numbers don't do him justice. Some of Brown's greatest runs were for four or five yards, shrugging off or carrying would-be tacklers with every powerful step. Others went for 70 or 80 yards, Brown bursting through a hole up the middle or sweeping around end with nary a hand laid on him, outrunning all his pursuers with an easy grace. Then there were all the other jaw-droppers, combining power, speed, elusiveness and unmatched instincts.

And whatever manner of run, Brown would slowly pick himself off the ground and amble back to the huddle as if he was spent for the day. In fact, he was simply conserving energy for his next highlight-reel gallop.

Brown didn't miss a game, yet played in just 118 regular season contests during his nine years. That's because NFL schedules were 12 games in his first four seasons (1957-60) and 14 games in his final five campaigns (1961-65). The 16-game schedule began in 1978.

Cleveland's famed power sweep featured Brown trailing the team's great offensive linemen around end until he seized the precise instant to bolt free and leave everyone in his wake. The play worked time and time again even though the hash marks on each side of the field were about three yards closer to the sidelines than now, giving him much less room to run outside than players now have. Who knows how many more yards Brown would have compiled with more space in which to operate.

The Browns had other signature running plays with Brown, including the trap and draw. A simple off-tackle play might go for the distance too.

Cleveland played in three NFL championship games with Brown, winning one. The Browns lost a division playoff game that denied them the chance to play in another title game. During Brown's career, Cleveland won 79 regular season games, lost 34 and tied five.

Brown retired in the summer of 1966, a couple years after he had begun an acting career. He was in England for the filming of a World War II movie, "The Dirty Dozen." Delays in production meant that Brown would miss, at least, much of training camp. Owner Art Modell threatened to fine Brown for missed time, prompting Brown's announcement of his retirement.

Modell had taken over majority ownership of the Browns in 1961 and had built a solid relationship with Jim Brown. Modell fired Paul Brown as coach after the 1962 Browns finished 7-6-1. Brown had been the team's coach since its inception in 1946 and whenever the Browns didn't win the championship over his 17 years, they were almost always in contention.

Cleveland, though, hadn't won the East Division title since Jim Brown's rookie season in 1957, going 2-8-1 from 1958-62 against its chief rival, the New York Giants. The Giants boasted a defense featuring future Hall of Famers and other superb players, and against the Browns their game plan focused on stopping Jim Brown. Trying to contain Brown was the game-plan priority of every team, of course, but among the East Division teams, only the Giants had the talent to make it work with any regularity.

Several Browns' players, Jim Brown among them, lost confidence in Paul Brown's play-calling. The rap was that the Browns' offense was too predictable. The complaint was one of the primary reasons for Modell's dismissal of Paul Brown.

Despite the scenario that resulted in Jim Brown's premature retirement, he and Modell would later resume their friendship. Jim Brown was saddened by Modell's move of the Browns to Baltimore following the 1995 season but maintained his personal affection for the man who had become the most unpopular figure in Cleveland sports history.

Jim Brown has had various roles with the Browns in recent years but the relationship between he and the team was strained for a brief time before things were recently patched up. The Browns announced on May 29 that they were bringing Brown back into the fold as a special adviser.

Modell replaced Paul Brown as coach with Blanton Collier, who had been a Paul Brown assistant. Collier introduced the concept of "option blocking" and a more varied and unpredictable offense emerged. The passing of Frank Ryan, receiving of Gary Collins and 1964 rookie Paul Warfield and the all-around play of running back Ernie Green -- all with the help of the superb line play -- were perfect complements to Jim Brown's brilliance.

With Collier as coach, the chemistry Jim Brown and his offensive teammates had already enjoyed, for the most part, as a group was enhanced. Brown always made sure to credit the other players who helped make the offense go. They made sure people knew he was the best. To this day, Brown speaks up in support of the teammates he feels belong with him in the Hall of Fame.

The dynamics helped the Browns post a 31-10-1 record in Jim Brown's final three seasons and play in two championship games, including the 27-0 upset win over the Baltimore Colts on Dec. 27, 1964 at Cleveland Stadium.

Brown's combined numbers in the 42 regular season games over his final three years: 4,853 yards and 36 touchdowns on 860 carries (5.6 yards per carry); 94 passes caught for 936 yards and nine touchdowns. In 1963, Brown broke his own single-season record with 1,863 rushing yards, a number since surpassed but the most-ever in a season of 14 games or less. His average gain a carry that year was 6.4 yards.

The Browns selected Jim Brown with the sixth pick in the first round of the 1957 draft. He was an All-American as a senior at Syracuse not only in football but also in lacrosse. In fact, Brown is a member of the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Brown also did a fine job as Syracuse's placekicker, was a starter in basketball and ran track.

Jim Brown was not the player Paul Brown wanted to draft. The coach hoped to get Purdue quarterback Len Dawson. Quarterback Otto Graham had retired after leading the 1955 Browns to a 9-2-1 record and then a 38-14 win over the Rams in the championship game at Los Angeles.

Without Graham, the Browns went 5-7 in 1956, the lone losing season in their first 28 years as a franchise.

Paul Brown's plans to make Dawson the next Browns field leader were ruined by the Pittsburgh Steelers. They had the fifth pick, one spot ahead of the Browns, and took Dawson. He played little in three seasons with the Steelers and then two years with the Browns after they got him in a minor trade with Pittsburgh. Dawson went to the Dallas Texans -- who would become the Kansas City Chiefs a year later -- of the American Football League in 1962 and became a Hall of Fame player.

The Browns bounced back with a 9-2-1 record in 1957, though they lost, 59-14, to the Lions in the championship game at Detroit.

The resurgence was due in large part to rookie Jim Brown. He led the league with 942 rushing yards in the 12-game regular season, averaging 4.7 yards a carry and totaling 10 touchdowns.

The only other season in which Brown failed to gain 1,000 yards -- and the only year he wasn't the NFL rushing leader -- was 1962. Playing with an injured wrist during most of the 14-game season, Brown ran for 996 yards and a career-low 4.3 yards per carry. He was at 1,002 yards before losing six yards on his last rush of the season, during Cleveland's 13-10 win over the 49ers in San Francisco in the season finale.

Brown is still pro football's all-time leader with 104.3 yards rushing per game. At the time of his retirement, he was the all-time leader in yards rushing (12,312), rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126) and combined rushing and pass receiving yards (14,811). His career average of 5.2 yards a carry is third-best among non-quarterbacks with more than 540 attempts.

Besides winning the rushing yardage title eight times, Brown was also a league leader in combined rushing and receiving yards (six years), rushing touchdowns (five years), total touchdowns (three years) and yards per carry (two years).

In four postseason games including the three championship games, Brown ran for 241 yards and one touchdown in 66 carries (3.7 yards per carry). He caught eight passes for 99 yards and returned six kickoffs for 167 yards.

Brown gained 114 yards in 27 carries and caught three passes for 44 yards in the 27-0 rout of the Colts in the 1964 championship game. He caught a screen pass from Ryan for 16 yards that set up Lou Groza's 43-yard field goal that put the Browns up, 3-0, early in the third quarter. The next time Cleveland got the ball, Brown swept around left end for 46 yards, setting up the first of three Ryan-to-Collins touchdown passes.

The rookie Brown ran 29 yards for a second-quarter touchdown that trimmed the Lions' lead to 17-7 in the 1957 title game before Detroit went on to its 59-14 rout. Brown's last game was Cleveland's 23-12 loss to the Packers in the 1965 championship game at Green Bay. The Browns' offense had the ball for just 38 plays so he didn't get a lot of opportunities, running 12 times for 50 yards and catching three passes for 44 yards.

Besides his regular season rushing stats, Brown caught 262 passes for 2,499 yards (9.5 yards per reception) and 20 touchdowns. He had 648 yards on 29 kickoff returns (22.3-yard average). Brown completed four of 12 passes for 117 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on the halfback option pass.

"The Dirty Dozen" was in the early stages of what became a long acting career for Brown. He has worked for decades in numerous cities, especially Cleveland and Los Angeles, with inner-city youths.

Brown turned 77 on February 17.

(The Browns' all-time top 100 players so far)

Video: Highlight plays from Jim Brown's career with the Browns:

Video: Great plays by Jim Brown and commentary on his play by teammates, opponents and media:

Video: A segment of the 1961 Browns highlights film begins with the Browns' 45-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 19, 1961 at Cleveland Stadium. Jim Brown tied his own NFL single-game record (since broken) with 237 yards rushing. He did it on 34 carries with four touchdowns:

Quarterback Graham led the Browns to the championship game in each of his 10 seasons, and they won seven of them. Also a fine runner and -- for a while -- a defensive back, Graham put up remarkable passing stats for his era.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A countdown of the top 100 players in Cleveland
Browns history. Players must have spent at least four seasons with the
Browns. The ranking is based only on players' careers with the Browns.

No. 1, OTTO GRAHAM, quarterback, 1946-55

The most meaningful superlative for a quarterback is "winner."

Quarterback Otto Graham and the Browns were the biggest winners of their era. Graham played 10 years and the Browns were in the championship game in every one of them, winning seven.

Yet it would seriously short-change Graham to remember him just for winning, as odd as that might sound. He didn't just "manage" the game trying to keep his team from losing. He owned the game. He was a remarkable and versatile athlete, one who would have excelled at a variety of positions in any era.

The countdown of the top 100 players in Browns history concluded with a poll asking which player should be ranked first, Otto Graham or Jim Brown.

The few shaky, grainy black-and-white videos from Graham's day fail to capture his excellence. Maybe that's why an occasional rankings show on a sports or football cable network downplay his accomplishments. Contrarily, there have been even in recent years the pundits who've listed Graham as the game's best-ever quarterback: a strong-armed accurate passer who could hit receivers on any route even against the swirling Lake Erie winds; a dangerous runner and a tough, savvy leader; a three-time NFL MVP in his last five years and a nine-time first-team all-league selection in his 10 seasons.

There's little film to be found of the NFL championship games the Browns won in 1950 (30-28 over the Los Angeles Rams in Cleveland), 1954 (56-10 over the Detroit Lions in Cleveland) and 1955 (38-14 over the Rams in Los Angeles).

In those three games, Graham completed 45 of 70 passes (64.3 percent) for 670 yards and nine touchdowns. That's 14.9 yards per completion and 9.4 yards per attempt. Also in those games, Graham ran for 147 yards and five touchdowns in 30 carries. That's 4.9 yards per carry, and it may have been better than that. In those days, quarterbacks were often charged with lost rushing yards when they had actually been sacked.

Despite the lack of film from Graham's time and a common theme that his career is ancient history, Graham was a virtual contemporary of some players who are considered modern-era. Graham retired at the end of the 1955 season. The Browns' Jim Brown, commonly and deservedly referred to as the best running back ever, began his NFL career in 1957. NFL rosters included 33 players in each of those years. Seventeen Browns played at least one year with Graham and at least one with Brown -- many of them teammates of each for multiple years.

Graham turned 25 during his rookie season but had turned just 34 when he retired. He had just led the Browns to another title in his final year, had led the league in passer rating and was the NFL Most Valuable Player for the third time in a five-year stretch. The best quarterbacks often play into their late 30s. Graham probably had at least a couple very good seasons left. How about if he and Jim Brown had played together? It may have never happened even if Graham had stuck around.

The Browns went 5-7 in 1956, their first season without Graham. They almost certainly would have won more games had he still been at QB and thus would have picked later in the first round of the 1957 draft. As it was, they picked sixth and took Syracuse running back Brown. It's been well-documented that coach Paul Brown wanted to pick Len Dawson at No. 6, but the Pittsburgh Steelers tabbed him one pick ahead of the Browns' turn. Paul Brown had hoped Dawson could turn into a reasonable replacement for Graham. Dawson eventually went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs after he spent three years in Pittsburgh and two in Cleveland -- all as a backup -- after the Browns acquired him in a trade with the Steelers.

Graham had actually delayed by a year the predicament the Browns would have in trying to replace him. He retired after the 1954 championship season but decided to return for one more year -- and another title -- shortly before the 1955 campaign began. He was persuaded to come back by Paul Brown as Cleveland's QBs struggled in training camp.

Graham flourished during an era when the rules favored defensive backs, when pass defenders were allowed to make much more contact with receivers at any time along the route than they are now allowed to. It was no simple matter to establish an efficient passing attack. Ironically, Graham was also a fine defensive back in his early Browns seasons.

Years after Graham retired, NFL coaches gradually adopted more cautious offensive approaches. The passer rating system was devised in recent years, and the mathematics of it favor the quarterbacks who have high completion and low interception percentages because, in part, most passes they throw have minimal risk. The system favors the quarterback whose team, in a hypothetical situation, gets the football on its own 10-yard-line with three minutes to go and trailing by 10 points. The quarterback completes 7 of 9 passes for 62 yards and his passer rating gets a boost, but the game ends with his team at the opponents' 28 and still losing by 10 points.

Graham was not that kind of careful, boring quarterback. His 9.0 yards per pass attempt over the course of his career ranks first all-time. That includes his four seasons in the All-America Football Conference and his six in the NFL. If the category is to include NFL play only, Graham is still first all-time with 8.63 yards per pass attempt.

Yet despite his daring approach, Graham's career passer rating of 86.6 ranks 16th all-time. The 86.6 is the highest ever for any quarterback who began his pro career before 1979. If you subtract his AAFC seasons, Graham's passer rating is roughly at 80. Even that would be the highest in NFL history for any quarterback who retired before 1971.

Thus, even the flawed passer rating system can't diminish Graham's greatness. Maybe that system should be junked anyway. It has, for instance, Chad Pennington, Daunte Culpepper and Jeff Garcia ranked as, respectively, the 13th, 14th and 15th most effective passers ever. The Browns' current backup quarterback, Jason Campbell, ranks 40th: 12 spots ahead of Warren Moon; 15 ahead of Bart Starr; 23 ahead of John Elway; 35 ahead of Johnny Unitas; 112 ahead of Terry Bradshaw; 149 ahead of Joe Namath.

Graham's 10 seasons were simultaneous with the first 10 years in Browns history. Getting to the championship game every year, the Browns were 4-0 in AAFC title contests and 3-3 in NFL championship games. Counting the two division playoff games they won, they were 9-3 in postseason play: 5-0 in the AAFC, 4-3 in the NFL. Cleveland won 105 regular season games, lost 17 and tied four. That included records of 47-4-3 in the AAFC and 58-13-1 in the NFL.

Graham, who never missed a game, was a first-team all-league selection in nine of his ten seasons and second-team in the other season. He made the Pro Bowl team in the first five of his six NFL years, not making it only in his final year, 1955 -- even though he won his third NFL Most Valuable Player award that year. (The AAFC that Graham and the Browns played in during their first four seasons didn't have a Pro Bowl-type game) He was also MVP in 1951 and 1953. Graham was the AAFC MVP in 1947 and shared the award with 49ers quarterback Frankie Albert in 1948, when the Browns went 14-0 and then clobbered the Buffalo Bills, 49-7, in the championship game at Cleveland. (The AAFC played 14-game schedules from 1946-48 and then a 12-game slate in 1949. NFL teams played 12 regular season games through Graham's career)

The Browns and Graham were supposed to get their comeuppance once the AAFC folded and they -- along with the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts -- were brought into the NFL. The Browns played their first NFL regular season game on Saturday night, Sept. 16, 1950 against the two-time defending champion Eagles in Philadelphia. Cleveland stunned the favored Eagles, 35-10. Graham completed 21 of 38 passes for 346 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 59 yards to Dub Jones, 26 yards to Dante Lavelli and 13 yards to Mac Speedie, then ran one yard for a score to put the Browns up, 28-3, in the fourth quarter.

The dominating win set the tone for the 1950 Browns. They finished in a first-place divisional tie with the New York Giants, forcing a playoff game at Cleveland Stadium. With the game tied, 3-3, Graham led a late fourth quarter drive by running three times for 36 yards, setting up Lou Groza's 28-yard field goal and a 6-3 Browns lead with 58 seconds left. Cleveland clinched the 8-3 win with a safety.

In the Browns' 30-28 championship game win over the Los Angeles Rams the next week in Cleveland, Graham completed 22 of 33 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 99 yards on 12 carries. The Browns trailed, 28-27, when they got the ball on their own 32 with 1:50 left. Graham completed three passes for 43 yards and had a 14-yard run. The plays set up Groza's game-winning 16-yard field goal with 28 seconds to go.

During Cleveland's championship game routs of the Lions, 56-10, in 1954 in Cleveland and of the Rams, 38-14, in 1955 in Los Angeles -- Graham's final game before his retirement -- he completed 23 of 37 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns and ran for five touchdowns himself.

In 12 postseason games including 10 championship games, Graham completed 159 of 300 passes for 2,101 yards, 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The 53 percent completion rate and 5.7 percent interception rate were excellent for the era.

Quarterback sacks were often counted as rushing attempts during much of Graham's career, so it's not possible to compile his true rushing totals. (In fact, ignore any regular season rushing statistics you see on Graham for that reason) However, in his last eight postseason games, he was credited with 354 yards running on 64 carries (5.5 yards per carry). He totaled six rushing touchdowns. Graham intercepted a pass in the Browns' 14-9 win over the football New York Yankees in the 1946 AAFC championship game in Cleveland. Also in postseason play, he returned five punts for 20 yards and one kickoff for 46 yards.

Besides retiring as pro football's all-time leader with 9.0 yards per pass attempt (a record he still holds), Graham was the all-time leader in yards passing (23,584) at the time of his retirement. At that time, he had thrown the lowest percentage (5.1) of interceptions ever and his 55.8 completion percentage was the second-best ever. He was second in touchdown passes (174).

Graham led the league in passing yards in five different seasons. He was also a league leader in passer rating (four years), completion percentage (four years), yards per completion (four years), touchdown passes (three years), yards per pass attempt (three years), lowest percentage of interceptions (three years) and highest percentage of touchdown passes (two years).

During the three regular seasons (1946-48) when he also played defensive back, Graham intercepted seven passes and returned them 102 yards, including one for 37 yards and a touchdown. He had 23 punt returns for 262 yards, an 11.4-yard return average. Graham scored 46 touchdowns in regular season games: 44 by running with the ball, one on the interception return and another on a fumble recovery.

A sidelight to Graham's career: During the Browns' 23-21 home win over the 49ers on Nov. 15, 1953, he had to leave the game with a severe gash on his chin. As he got stitched up, Browns personnel configured a plastic device to protect the injury. Graham returned to the game wearing a form of the equipment which would then be added to all helmets, the face mask.

Graham went to Northwestern on a basketball scholarship and was first-team All-America as a senior. He began playing football as a sophomore and also played baseball for the Wildcats. Graham led Northwestern to football wins over Ohio State in 1941 and 1943, both when Paul Brown was coaching the Buckeyes.

Graham enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II. Beginning in 1944 he went through pilot training programs in New York State and North Carolina.

Paul Brown was in the early stages of building the Browns' team that would play in the new AAFC when he signed Graham in 1945. Brown had been impressed with Graham's play against Ohio State. Graham had been taken by the Lions with the fourth pick in the first round of the 1944 NFL draft but didn't sign. As Graham waited for his pro football career to begin after agreeing to terms with the Browns, he played one year of pro basketball for the 1945-46 National Basketball League champion Rochester Royals. The NBL would in 1949 be absorbed into the Basketball Association of American to form the National Basketball Association.

Graham coached the Coast Guard Academy football team from 1959-65 and in 1974-75. The Coast Guard played a college schedule roughly equivalent to today's Division II programs. He also worked as the Academy's athletic director during both stints and after retiring as the football coach, continued as athletic director until he retired in 1984.

After his first stay with the Coast Guard, Graham was the Washington Redskins' head coach from 1966-68. Graham also coached the College All-Stars for years in the College All-Star Game that was played each summer in Chicago . He coached the team of college stars who had been seniors the previous season against the defending NFL champions. The 1964 champion Browns defeated Graham's all-stars, 24-16, on Aug. 6, 1965. Second-year Cleveland wide receiver Paul Warfield broke a collarbone during the game and missed most of the season.

Graham spent most of his retirement in Florida. He died on Dec. 17, 2003 at age 82.

(The Browns' all-time top 100 players)

Video: Otto Graham (60) completes a pass to Mac Speedie (58) and throws two touchdown passes to Dub Jones (86) during the Browns' 42-21 win over the Chicago Bears on Nov. 25, 1951, the game in which Jones scored six touchdowns:

Video: From the 1955 Los Angeles Rams highlights film. About 6:50 in, highlights of the Browns' 38-14 win over the Rams in the 1955 championship game at Los Angeles. About 7:35 in, five straight plays by Browns' quarterback Otto Graham (14), playing his last game:

Video: Otto Graham (60) is the Browns quarterback in highlights from the 1951 title game, which the Browns lost, 24-17, to the Rams in Los Angeles:

Video: Footage on Otto Graham gives some indication of his abilities: