The One Browns Running Back Who Just Missed the Top 10

Just as is the case in March Madness, the College Football Playoffs or even the NFL postseason, in which seemingly qualified teams don’t make the cut for whatever reason, so it is, too, with my recent list of the 10 best running backs in Browns history.

There is one — and only one, really — for whom a strong argument could be made that he belongs, and it is someone who longtime Browns fans will remember well, Ernie Green.

Green, who was in Cleveland for seven seasons, 1962-68, was one of the best running backs in the NFL during that time in that he ran with both power and speed, he was an excellent blocker and he was as good of a receiver catching the ball out of the backfield as the Browns have ever had.

But he did so in virtual obscurity, just like Bobby Mitchell, the man who preceded him in this secondary role. Green played in the backfield alongside of first Jim Brown and then Leroy Kelly, a pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers who rank 1-2, respectively, on this list.

As such, then, Green’s most important quality was that he was unselfish and had a team-first, and not a me-first, attitude. He had no problem stepping aside and letting others have the limelight. Mitchell was the same way with Brown.

How many players on this top 10 list can say that?

Steve King

🏈 Top Pick: Jerseys

The NFL Pro Line jerseys, especially those of popular players, dominate in both sales and reviews:

The NFL Pro Line Men’s Baker Mayfield Cleveland Browns Team Player Jersey (approx. $29.99) is Amazon’s top-seller in the Browns jersey category — it features over 100 ratings with a high average and appears in their “frequently purchased” and “Amazon’s Choice” sections.
Similarly, the NFL Pro Line Men’s Nick Chubb Cleveland Browns Team Player Jersey (~$30.99) is also extremely popular — a modern Browns legend whose jersey resonates with fans.

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