Wide receiver Mac Speedie, whose story I have related in my last two posts, isn’t the only member of the early Browns teams who has never been appreciated for just how good he was.
There are a number of others, such as:
*Wide receiver/running back Ray Renfro (played for the Browns from 1952-63) – A three-time Pro Bowler, he Is ninth on the team’s career receptions list (281), good for 5,508 yards (second), a 19.6 yards-per-catch average (first) and 50 touchdowns (third).
*Defensive tackle Bob Gain (1952, 1954-64) – His five Pro Bowl appearances are tied for the most by a defensive lineman in team history.
*Guard Abe Gibron (1950-56) – He made four straight Pro Bowl trips in seven seasons before going on to become head coach of the Chicago Bears.
*Defensive tackle Don Colo (1953-58) – He went to the Pro Bowl three times.
*Halfback Dub Jones (1948-55) – He was a Pro Bowler twice and shares the NFL record with six touchdowns scored in a game (1951 against the Chicago Bears).
*Punter/tight end Horace Gillom (1947-56) – A Massillon High School product who played for Paul Brown there, he is the greatest punter in Browns history.
*Safety/punt returner Ken Konz (1953-59) – A great defender – he is fourth on the Browns with 30 career interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns, and had two interceptions in two straight NFL Championship Games (1954-55) – he also led the league in punt return average.
*Fullback Chick Jagade – Between the careers of Marion Motley and Jim Brown, he squeezed in two Pro Bowl trips.
*Guard Jim Ray Smith (1956=62) – He went to the Pro Bowl five straight times.
*Safety Don Paul (1954-58) – He made it to the Pro Bowl three times in five seasons and returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown to get the Browns started on their rout of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1955 NFL title game.
*Cornerback Warren Lahr (1948-59) – A product of Western Reserve College (now Case Western Reserve), he somehow never made it to the Pro Bowl even though he is second on the club with 40 career interceptions, including a team-best five that were returned for scores.
*Linebacker Walt Michaels (1952-61) – His four appearances in the Pro Bowl are tied for the most by a Browns linebacker.
*Linebacker Tony Adamle (1947-51, 1954) – A Cleveland Collinwood High School and Ohio State product, he played in two Pro Bowls before becoming a doctor in Kent and raising a son, Mike, who went on to play running back in the NFL.
*Wide receiver Darrel “Pete” Brewster (1952-58) – He was named to the Pro Bowl twice and caught 186 passes for 3,372 yards (18.1 yards-per-reception average) and 19 touchdowns.
