Mount Rushmore of Browns receivers

Mount Rushmore of Browns receiversCLEVELAND, OH - CIRCA 1960's: Wide receiver Paul Warfield #42 of the Cleveland Browns in action catches a pass in front of defensive back Mel Renfro #20 of the Dallas Cowboys circa late 1960's during an NFL football game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland Ohio. Warfield played for the Browns from 1964-69 and 1976-77. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Posted By: County Sports Network May 27, 2020

Mount Rushmore of Browns receivers – Can’t pass on Lavelli, Watfield, Speedie, and Collins

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 19th in a series of stories about the Mount Rushmore-worthy players – the best players – in Browns history. Today we look at wide receivers (Group 1).

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By STEVE KING

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To be sure, football has changed greatly in the modern era, but no more so than in the passing game.

Instead of passing on the passing game, teams now use it again and again and again. That’s especially true in the NFL. It’s a pass-happy league, which makers the fans happy, for they want to see big, way-downfield plays on offense and plenty of scoring.

Three-, four- and even five-wide receiver sets are common, and have been for 30 years. For that reason, then, our Mount Rushmore of Browns wide receivers had to be increased, and in fact, doubled. We’ll have two Mount Rushmores – two wide-receiver groups, labeled simply 1 and 2.

Group 1, which appears here, is the more high-profile foursome. Group 2 will run next.

There is no other way to do it. To have done anything else would have meant the exclusion of four deserving pass-catchers from Mount Rushmore. We couldn’t do that.

Group 1 is made up of two men already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Northeast Ohio natives and Ohio State products Dante Lavelli (1946-56) and Paul Warfield (1964-69 and 1976-77), one man who will join them there posthumously later this year in Lavelli’s running mate, Mac Speedie (1956-52), and a man who should be in the Hall in Gary Collins (1962-71).

Here’s a little about them:

DANTE LAVELLI

From Hudson High School, he went to OSU and was lost to an injury early in the season in 1942 when the Buckeyes went on to win their first national championship. Following a hero’s performance in World War II, he was signed by Browns head coach Paul Brown, for whom he had played at Ohio State. He caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Otto Graham in the All-America Conference Championship Game in that first season of 1946 as Cleveland edged the New York Yankees 14-9. That became a common sight, as the two, in the six seasons they played together in the NFL, combined for 29 TD passes, tied for the second-most in Browns history. The Browns, for whatever reason, don’t recognize the statistics from the team’s four AAFC seasons in their official stats – couldn’t they combine those numbers somewhere? – but regardless, Lavelli has an overall total of 386 receptions for 6,488 yards (16.8) and 62 touchdowns. If they counted, then he would be second in catches, yards and TDs.

PAUL WARFIELD

The Warren Harding High School product was a two-way back at Ohio State but was moved to wide receiver by head coach Blanton Collier not long after he was taken in the first round, at No. 11 overall, in the 1964 NFL Draft. He played for six years before going to the Miami Dolphins in the 1970 trade to get quarterback Mike Phipps, then returned to Cleveland to finish his career in 1976 and ’77. He finished with 271 career catches (just out of the Browns’ top 10) for 5,210 yards (fourth) and 52 TDs (second).

MAC SPEEDIE

Thankfully part of the special HOF induction class for the NFL’s centennial year after being overlooked for years, he and Lavelli played together for the Browns’ first seven seasons. During that time, Speedie’s numbers – 349 receptions for 5,602 yards (16.1) and 33 TDs – far outdistanced those of Lavelli. That he bolted to the big money of the Canadian Football League following 1952 season took Speedie off people’s radar regarding just how good he was and, eventually, his qualifications for the HOF.

GARY COLLINS

Here’s hoping the same thing – HOF induction — will someday happen for Collins, who was drafted in the first round, at No. 4 overall, out of Maryland in 1962. He is second all-time on the Browns with 331 receptions and third with 5,299 receiving yards, but where he really stood out is with his 70 touchdown receptions, which puts him far and away as the club leader. In a day and age when defensive backs could mug receivers all over the field, he impressively had that many TD grabs, including three in the 1964 NFL Championship Game victory over the Baltimore Colts. Those passes were thrown by Frank Ryan. Ryan and Collins combined for a franchise-best 49 TD catches during their time in Cleveland. The Browns made the playoffs five other times and got to the NFL title contest on three other occasions in Collins’ career. Add all of that together, and it is enough to put him into the Hall. Are you listening, voters?

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NEXT: Wide receivers (Group 2).

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