The Browns will induct their 16 Hall of Famers into their new Ring of Honor on Sunday at halftime of the game between the Browns and Chiefs.
Five members of the Browns Ring of Honor are in this picture, taken Dec. 23, 1955. From left, Dante Lavelli, Frank Gatski, Paul Brown, Otto Graham and Lou Groza. Three days later the Browns beat the Rams, 38-14, to win the NFL title.Their careers span 45 seasons of Cleveland Browns football, from post-World War II to the Cold War's end.
From Paul and Jim Brown to Bill Willis, from the glue fingers of Dante Lavelli to the sure-handed wizardry of Ozzie Newsome.
Many played in the mud and blood and stench from cigars when fans -- and the team's legendary head coach -- wore topcoats and felt hats. Some even played before facemasks, which, by the way, the coach and team founder invented.
The 16 Browns enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame comprise the team's first Ring of Honor class, their names to be unveiled at halftime today along the facade of the stadium's upper deck.
Browns fans lucky enough to have watched them play were left with a lifetime of memories. Revisit them now, with six of the seven living honorees, in their own words . . .
Editor's note: Jim Brown declined an interview request. He has said he will not attend the ceremony.
Joe DeLamielleure
Guard (1980-84)
Q. Most memorable game?
A. Red Right 88. I thought we were going to the Super Bowl. I really did. It just didn't happen.
Q. Most memorable teammate?
A. There were two -- Tom DeLeone and Cody Risien. Because I played between them, a guard plays between a center and a tackle, and those were two of my best friends on my team. And they had two of the best senses of humor. We had a lot of fun. And Cody, we were just good friends and we roomed together. I just remember being friends with them.
Q. What does being a Cleveland Brown mean to you?
A. Being part of one of the best franchises in the National Football League. Remember, I grew up in Detroit. I was a Browns and Lions and Green Bay fan my whole life. When you talk about the NFL, that's what you think of. When you think of the professional football, that's what you think of. Of course, now I played for and loved three of the worst teams in the Bills, Browns and Lions.
Q. What's one thing you remember about Cleveland Municipal Stadium?
A. The mud. And the pitcher's mound. You had to play with the pitcher's mound still in place. And also, coming out of the dugout, that was a great feeling. You'd just hear the crowd and think, man, I'm involved in professional football, that's for sure. Oh, and the Dawg Pound.
Q. Most memorable opponent?
A. Whenever we played Pittsburgh and I played against "Mean" Joe Greene. Just playing against the Steelers. We did pretty well against them, we held our own against them. But you always want to want to play the best, and you want to try to beat the best.
''''''''Q. What does this honor mean to you?
A. It means a whole lot, to tell you the truth. For one thing, being in the Hall of Fame is great. There are plenty of other players who could be in the Hall of Fame, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right players. I'm very thankful, because I know there are other players who could be where I was. The other thing is my grandkids will be there Sunday. Three of my grandsons are coming and they didn't see me get inducted into the Hall of Fame, so they'll have a memorable day. Well, at least two of them will, I'm not sure the youngest one will remember. They're 10, 4 and 1 year old.
Leroy Kelly
Running back (1964-73)
Retired and living in New Jersey.
Q. Most memorable game?
A. Well, I only started one game with Jim Brown and that was against Pittsburgh (Oct. 9, 1965) when we used to play them on Saturday night in Cleveland. It was raining the whole game, and that's the only game I started with him because Ernie Green was hurt and we won the game (24-19) in like the last minute on a Frank Ryan pass to Gary Collins for the winning touchdown. And that game sticks out because it was the only game I started with him.
Q. Most memorable teammate?
A. I think probably "the Flea" [Walter Roberts] because we were rookies together [1964] and back there on specialty teams, returning kickoffs and punts. We roomed together out at Hiram [training camp] for a while. He was a good guy and I still talk to him occasionally. Having the opportunity to make a professional football team and especially the Cleveland Browns was just a great honor for me. Being drafted in the eighth round, it wasn't easy.
Q. What's one thing you remember about Cleveland Municipal Stadium?
A. The main thing would be probably coming down the tunnel there and coming out to the field and walking up to the steps there. It was a baseball stadium, too, so we had those steps coming up out of the tunnel there and the pipes that were in the tunnel. I liked running down toward the Dawg Pound (which were just called the bleachers back then) because it seemed like the field was slanted that way. You had more momentum going that way.
Q. Most memorable opponent?
A. I guess back then I'd say we had some real good games with the Dallas Cowboys. They had some good players. I remember their quarterback [Don] Meredith, he was a real good quarterback for Dallas at the time and, of course, Bob Hayes was there, a real speedy receiver. It was nothing like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, but it was sort of a nice rivalry we had with Dallas.
Q. What was it like playing for head coach Blanton Collier?
A. I liked Blanton because he knew the game of football. We learned a lot. I know I learned a lot from him coming from a small, predominantly black school at Morgan State. He made the transition to professional football very easy for me.
Q. How does a player follow the greatest running back the game's ever known?
A. You know, a lot of people were worried about Jim retiring, but the offensive line was still here. We had Gene Hickerson, Dick Schafrath, Monte Clark, John Morrow, John Wooten. So the offensive line was still there, and that's why in my first year as a starter I gained over 1,000 yards. And that was the main reason, the offensive line was still there, still young and still producing.
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Mike McCormack
Tackle (1954-62)
Resides in Palm Desert, Calif., but won't attend ceremonies after recent surgery.
Q: Most memorable game?
A: I'd have to go back to the championship game in 1954. I just got out of the service. I'd been in New York and while I was in the service, I was traded to the Browns. While I was in the service, I heard the 1952 and 1953 championship games on service radio when the Browns lost. All of a sudden, we were back in the championship game with Detroit.
Although I was basically an offensive tackle, Paul Brown moved me into Bill Willis' spot on defense. Early in that game, we had gone ahead. Then the Lions went ahead. I was fortunate enough on a designed defensive stunt to steal the ball from Bobby Layne, which set up an early touchdown. We went on to win, 56-14. There were several others.
We had a great defensive team. I remember another game when we were leading the Philadelphia Eagles later that season. They got down to the 1-yard line. It was a 6-0 game. It was late in the game, and it was really the only time I was cited by Paul. On the first play, I made the tackle for a yard loss. The second play I made a tackle for a yard loss again. On third down, Don Paul kicked me in the butt and said, "They're going to try you again." Well, for some reason, the quarterback drew a delay of game, so they were third-and-5. I rushed the passer and he threw incomplete. Then on fourth down, I pulled out of the line and went into pass defense. I've still got the broken ring finger where I hit the ball and made it incomplete. In the Monday morning post-game, Paul gave me credit for that series of plays.
Q: Most memorable teammate?
A: Otto Graham, of course. And Marion Motley. I came from Kansas, where we did not have any black players. My first team was the [AAFC] Yanks, and I got to be good friends with Buddy Young. Then when I was traded to the Browns, Marion took me under his wing. He kept calling me "rookie" and I kept telling him I'd played one year already and had gone to the Pro Bowl. What a great guy he was. Then, of course, we had Dante Lavelli and so many great players.
Q: What does being a Cleveland Brown mean to you?
A: Success. The teammates and the success we had my whole career there.
Q: What's one thing you remember about Cleveland Municipal Stadium?
A: The one distinguishing factor was how, late in the year, the wind came in off Lake Erie and just swirled. It always made it seem colder than it really was. And I remember the fans. We stood in the dugout behind the goalpost until the announcer said, "And now, introducing the Cleveland Browns." The whole team was stretched out and we came out as one. That was kind of a trademark we had.
Q: Most memorable opponent?
A: [Baltimore Colts defensive end] Gino Marchetti. I remember playing against him in 1956 and he ate my lunch. On Monday morning, Paul got up there . . . he could really cut you up. I'll never forget sitting there. I was worried, anyway, because I knew my performance was not good. Paul stood in front of everybody. He would never scream or raise his voice. All he said was, "Michael, I don't know what happened. I just wonder what your parents would think of your performance yesterday." You don't think that cut me to the quick?
''Q: How did Paul Brown influence you?
A: I was fortunate to be in the NFL for 47 years, and I was with three of the greater icons of pro coaching: Paul Brown, Vince Lombardi and George Allen. Paul was a teacher. Paul taught football. More than anything, he was the epitome of what I wanted to do. I tried to teach the same way, but as a head coach, I guess my emotions got away from me. Every day in training camp -- you could go back to the third day of the third week and the Browns would be doing the same thing. Vince was a hard taskmaster. He drove teams. Of course, George loved old players. But Paul was a teacher first.
'Q: What does this honor mean to you?
A: It's a great honor. I've been fortunate in the 47 years to be honored. I've got a statue in Carolina. I've got a suite named after me in Carolina. This is a great honor. This is where I played, where my four children were raised and got their start in life. To be so honored, especially with the people I'm going in with -- one of my better friends at the time was Bobby Mitchell -- I think it's a great honor.
Bobby Mitchell
Halfback (1958-61)
Retired and living in the Washington D.C. area.
Q. Most memorable game?
A. Well, I had a few that I liked a lot. But one, ironically [because he was later traded there], was against the Redskins. I had a day in Washington that I rushed for 232 yards in only 14 carries and did a lot of things, punts and kickoffs. Just had a real great day.
[The speedy triple-threat scored three touchdowns that November day in 1959, including a 90-yard run on the second play from scrimmage to beat the Redskins, 31-17. He finished within 5 yards of Jim Brown's single-game rushing record at the time.]
Q. Most memorable teammate?
A. Jim Brown. We lined up together all four of my years in Cleveland, so I got a chance to see the big man run. That was really something to be a part of. I couldn't believe how good he was and I haven't seen anybody as good since.
Q. What's one thing you remember about Cleveland Municipal Stadium?
A. Heck, for the Cleveland Browns, 70,000 people was kind of commonplace, so it was very, very impressive to be out on the field and look up there and see all those people. I'll tell you one thing, it made you want to perform for them.
Q. Most memorable opponent?
A. We had some tough, tough days with the Steelers, and they had some good defensive players. I remember Ernie Stautner welcoming me to the NFL. Almost put me to sleep.
''Q. How was it being Washington's first black player?
A. My problem in Washington really was centered around whites in the town who couldn't accept a black star. So I had some pretty bad treatment in a lot of places. None of the treatment was from the club. It was all outside, and to this day there are certain things that still bother me. But that's life.
Q. What was it like having Jim Brown as a teammate?
A. I often tell people it was really something to be sitting in the locker room prior to going out on the field. The silence in the room normally is that all the players are thinking about the game. They want to get their thoughts together, that type of thing. But all our thoughts and focus, it seems, was on Jim. Is he ready? Is he going to play today the way we're used to seeing him play, and that type of thing. And all of a sudden, Jim would stand up and he'd start pulling up on his pants. Now, we're already dressed to go out, and as soon as he started pulling up on his pants, simultaneously there's a roar sort of going up in the locker room. "Let's go to work. Let's get going, let's get these guys!" It was like everybody was waiting for him to indicate that, "I'm ready to go." The coaches, too. I used to laugh about that. I wonder if everybody in the room is aware of what we do. We wait for a signal from him, and I don't think he even knew that. I doubt it, because we never talked about it.
Ozzie Newsome
Tight end (1978-90)
General manager of the Baltimore Ravens, a position he's held since 2002. Will miss ceremonies to attend Ravens game at Cincinnati.
Tight end Ozzie Newsome says his two most memorable games with the Browns were his first game as a rookie in 1978, and the double-overtime playoff win over the New York Jets on Jan. 3, 1987.Q: Most memorable game?
A: Two games stand out. First, the very first game as a rookie. We played the San Francisco 49ers, so it was the opportunity to be a starter, to play in that game . . . and, also the first time I touched the ball I scored a touchdown. And the overtime game with the Jets in the playoffs [In 1997. The Browns won 23-20 in double-overtime].
Q: Most memorable teammate?
A: I guess it was Calvin [Hill]. I chose him to induct me in the Hall, but we were also roommates. There was a 10-year age difference, and here I was a guy that grew up in the South and he was a guy who went to Yale. I think he had a different outlook on life than I did, being a 10-year veteran and me being a rookie. But some of the things he enjoyed, like going to art galleries and things like that . . . I'd say, "What?" His professionalism rubbed off on me. He was a very good mentor.
Q: What does being a Cleveland Brown mean to you?
A: I think Cleveland is a blue-collar town that really appreciated its Cleveland Browns. I was really honored to be a part of that, where you just came to work every day and did your job. I think that identified us and identified us with the city.
Q: What's one thing you remember about Cleveland Municipal Stadium?
A: Walking through the tunnel. It was run down, you could see the pipes. It was a little dark. And when you walked through that tunnel and you got to the baseball dugout and you come up those steps . . . The roar the crowd would have, it was unbelievable. And it was every time.
Q: Most memorable opponent?
A: Pittsburgh. My first years there, they won Super Bowls. In order for us to become a good football team, we had to beat Pittsburgh. It was two hours or less away, and our fans would travel there, their fans would travel [to Cleveland]. There would be more fights in the stands than there would be on the field. When you're trying to accomplish something you have to beat the best, and Pittsburgh was the best.
''''''Q: What does this honor mean to you?
A: It's another special recognition. You don't get that very often. I got a chance to read the transcript that Paul [Warfield] and Joe [DeLamielleure] had at the press conference, and I can echo every sentiment that they said.
Q: What did Art Modell mean to your career?
A: He was an owner, but he provided guidance. He provided support when I needed it. He gave me an opportunity to enter into a second career [as general manager], so I'm very beholden to Art. He's a friend of mine. We still talk. He still comes to practice. He's a true friend of mine. He has a lot of compassion. I know I can say this, but I think the wounds are so deep [with Cleveland] that it's probably not going to make a difference [how the city feels about him].
Paul Warfield
Wide receiver (1964-69, 1976-77)
Recently retired from the Browns front office, lives in California.
Q. Most memorable game?
A. [Although he won two Super Bowls with Miami and the 1964 championship with the Browns, the Warren, Ohio, native and lifetime Browns fan picked an exhibition game.] The very first night playing in Cleveland Browns Stadium in front of 80,000 [83,736 actually], I was sort of living that dream. It was unbelievable. [Warfield remembers dropping what would have been an 80-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Frank Ryan.] We beat the Packers [20-17] that evening, fortunately.
Q. Most memorable teammate?
A. Marlin Briscoe [a former Miami Dolphins receiver who remains a close friend]. I admired him because he had to make transitions in pro football. He started as a quarterback [with Denver in the old AFL] when African-American quarterbacks were rare. Unfortunately for him, his tenure in Denver was not long-lasting, and he found himself in a position of being without a job. His opportunity to return to the NFL was as a receiver, a position he had never played before. Marlin was able to make that transition and make the team, which was difficult to do because he had to learn the position under the gun. He had never played wide receiver in college.
Q. What's one thing you remember about Cleveland Municipal Stadium?
A. A lot of wonderful things happened for me [in 1964]. I played with a team I certainly idolized as a youngster coming up, and then to play in Cleveland close to my hometown in Warren and to play in an NFL championship game, which at the time was the Super Bowl. To be in that stadium and to be on that field, to play against the Colts and Johnny Unitas. They had so many great players -- Lenny Moore, Jim Parker, Raymond Berry, Gino Marchetti . . . And I saw those guys in the '58 championship game, which is still the greatest game in NFL history.
Q. Most memorable opponent?
A. One always liked to compete against the very best competition, and I still have to go back to those Packer teams of the '60s. The team had to be at its very best to beat them. That's what the essence of competition was all about. They were symbolic of excellence.
Q. How surprised were you at being traded to Miami for the rights to draft QB Mike Phipps?
A. [Weeks before the 1970 NFL draft, Warfield was interrupted during a meeting in Akron with his Firestone tire business partners. Browns owner Art Modell was on the phone, calling to let him know he'd been traded to Miami for the third pick in the draft, which they used to select Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps. ]
As an Ohioan in Ohio, playing for one of the greatest teams in the NFL, and my career is productive at this point and voila, I get this telephone call out of the blue. I guess I could only describe it as a shocker.""""''""
Q. Your reflections on Miami?
A. Don Shula [hired shortly after the trade] certainly proved his greatness, the ability to pull us together in a short period of time, to make the personnel changes necessary to quickly turn it around. [Miami went from three wins in 1969 to 10 and a playoff appearance in Warfield's first season, and reached the Super Bowl the following year.] Gloomy and as dismal as it appeared to be, or looking up and asking, "Why [was I traded?]," if you decide with a positive attitude to do something, things have a way of working out. It actually turned out better because the fortunes sort of changed. The Browns sort of slid and Miami went all the way to the top.
Q. You returned to the Browns in 1976. What do you remember?
A. I was shut out [in his final game in 1977], and in my first game against Washington I was shut out, didn't catch a pass. It's ironic I entered the league not catching a pass and left the league not catching a pass.
Plain Dealer reporters Mary Schmitt Boyer and Jodie Valade contributed to this report.