EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the second in a multi-part series of items that did not make it into our recent series for the Fourth of July entitled, “250 for 250, Browns Style,” and some that did make it in but only partly so and thus deserve further explanation. We’ll call this series, “250 for 250, The Encore.”

By STEVE KING

252) — Family ties run strong.

That’s exactly how ppl Jim Houston saw it. And he was only too eager to tell you, or anyone else who would listen.

Houston, one of the best defensive players the Browns have ever had after a 13-year career as a linebacker/end, had an older brother named Lin, who was a talented offensive guard on the first eight Cleveland teams from 1946–53.

“He was very good,” Jim Houston said.  “He deserves to be honored for that.”

Indeed, Jim would talk all about Lin before he ever uttered a syllable about himself.

Both brothers played at Massillon High and then Ohio State. At all three places, including with the Browns, Lin’s head coach was Paul Brown.

The Houston brothers had spent a lot of time at the Boys and Girls Club in Massillon while growing up, and as a result, Jim would organize fundraisers in the Akron area to benefit the clubs by bringing in a guest speaker. One time it was Ohio State basketball legend Jerry Lucas who spoke. If you had a Mount Rushmore of Ohio high school basketball players through the years, it would consist of Lucas, from Middletown High School, LeBron James of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Jim Jackson of Toledo Macomber and Clark Kellogg of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

I covered the event when Lucas spoke, and I can tell you that it was a thrill to meet him.

Another speaker in the series was Larry Siegfried, a Shelby High School product who was on Ohio State’s 1960 national championship team with Lucas and then went on to a decade-long career in the NBA, including winning five championships as a member of the Boston Celtics.

Steve King