Three Browns legends and a good guy
By STEVE KING
The Browns sent out a big press release the other day about Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium being Cleveland Browns Legends Day.
Honored will be the two 2020 Legends inductees in wide receiver Webster Slaughter and wide receiver/returner Josh Cribbs who weren’t able to be properly honored last season because of COVID-19 protocols, and the 2021 class of quarterback Bill Nelsen and linebacker D’Qwell Jackson.
There is something wrong here.
Does Slaughter belong? Yes, of course. He’s one of the best wideouts in Browns history, shining in the Bernie Kosar era during the last half of the 1980s.
Does Cribbs belong? Yes, of course. He’s one of the best returners in NFL history.
Does Nelsen belong? Yes, of course. The tough-as-nails guy led the Browns to back-to-back NFL Championship Game appearances — one win away from the Super Bowl — in 1968 and ’69.
But does Jackson belong? No, of course not. He was a good linebacker but hardly a great one, or a legend.
Let me be clear here in saying Jackson is a great guy. He is a class act. If you’re looking for a Browns Legend in that regard, then sure, he’s in.
But this is about playing ability and production, and Jackson comes nowhere close to the other three.
Don’t blame Jackson, though. Blame the Browns and their top executives in insisting upon the hard-to-stomach expabns ion era has to stand equal during the 50-year existence of the original franchise, which had a lot of success. That’s why now there is one Legend selected from the original franchise every season, and one from the new era.
That promotes nominees who shouldn’t make it, and it keeps viable candidates from being honored.
But it isn’t going to change. The page has been turned.
And it turns my stomach — big-time.
More Cleveland Browns Legends:
On Saturday, Browns Legends, alumni and team leadership will attend the Browns Legends Induction Dinner at FirstEnergy Stadium. Please note that the private event is closed to media.
| Cleveland Browns Legends: | |
| Class of 2001* | Gene Hickerson, Bernie Kosar, Michael Dean Perry, Greg Pruitt, Ray Renfro |
| Class of 2002 | Clay Matthews, Brian Sipe, Mac Speedie |
| Class of 2003 | Hanford Dixon, Bob Gain, Dick Schafrath |
| Class of 2004 | Gary Collins, Mike Pruitt, Tommy James, Dub Jones |
| Class of 2005 | Frank Minnifield, Frank Ryan, Jerry Sherk, Jim Ray Smith |
| Class of 2006 | Earnest Byner, Doug Dieken, Jim Houston, Walt Michaels |
| Class of 2007 | Don Cockroft, Horace Gillom, Bill Glass, Kevin Mack |
| Class of 2008 | Walter Johnson, Warren Lahr, Eric Metcalf, Paul Wiggin |
| Class of 2010 | Cody Risien, John Wooten |
| Class of 2011 | Vince Costello, Tom DeLeone |
| Class of 2012 | Ernie Green, Clarence Scott |
| Class of 2013 | Galen Fiss, Abe Gibron |
| Class of 2014 | Robert E. Jackson, Milt Morin |
| Class of 2015 | Don Colo, Bob Golic |
| Class of 2016 | Dick Ambrose, Thom Darden |
| Class of 2017 | Bernie Parrish, Tony Adamle |
| Class of 2018 | Erich Barnes, Eddie Johnson |
| Class of 2020 | Josh Cribbs, Webster Slaughter |
| Class of 2021 | D’Qwell Jackson, Bill Nelsen |
* Browns Pro Football Hall of Famers were automatically inducted in 2001
Alumni Weekend schedule:
10th Annual Cleveland Browns Alumni Golf Outing
Friday (8:30 a.m.)
Westwood Country Club
22625 Detroit Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
Cleveland Browns Legends Induction Dinner*
Saturday
FirstEnergy Stadium
*Event is private for alumni and is not open to the public or media members
Cleveland Browns Legends Induction Ceremony
Browns-Browns halftime (1 p.m. kickoff)
Halftime presentation of 2020 Browns Legends Josh Cribbs and Webster Slaughter and 2021 Browns Legends D’Qwell Jackson and Webster Slaughter
FirstEnergy Stadium
100 Alfred Lerner Way
Cleveland, OH 44114
The latest from Odell Beckham
On if he feels like will be able to play on Sunday:
“We will see. Taking it a day at a time.”
On how his first full practice of the season went yesterday:
“Everything is going smooth. Just been part of the progression the entire time. Just working my way back into it. Everything feels good so just taking it day by day.”
On if there is anything specific between now and Sunday that needs to happen in order to play:
“Day by day. Each day, just keep each day until we get there, and we will see then.”
On if anything happened prior to the Chiefs game that led to him not playing:
“Just like I said, we are just taking it day by day. A long time ago before the season even came out, the original plan – before even seeing the schedule – was 11 months post-op. Now I am at right around 10 and a half [months]. The progression started, and I started to progress faster and faster. I definitely was itching and wanted to go against that team, but it just did not happen that day. Like I said, I am just following God’s plan. He put me in a good place to be here right now. Like I said, It is just a day by day process.”
On if he is technically ahead of schedule by a couple of weeks, based on the initial outlook of an 11-month recovery process:
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
On if he is at the point to where he does not even think about the knee injury anymore:
“It has been a long time since I just thought about the knee. This is the third time being on that surgery table so it is just a different feeling. The first time when I came back from the ankle, it was tough to overcome that. I felt like this time it was a lot easier in the process – more of a spiritual healing, I would say.”
| Key dates ahead Sunday: Week 3 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m.Oct. 3: Week 4 at Minnesota, 1 p.m.Oct. 10: Week 5 at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m.Nov. 2: NFL trade deadline, 4 p.m. |
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