Although the Cleveland Browns organization has been among the most pitiful of the modern era, its history boasts some of the most important figures in football history.
After the Patriots’ 38-15 win over Cleveland on Sunday, Bill Belichick reportedly suggested that players return to the field take note of five names: Jim Brown, Paul Brown, Marion Motley, Ozzie Newsome and Bill Willis.
According to Mike Reiss, Belichick then used those names to teach his players lessons about integration, football history, excellence and more.
All five men reside in the hallowed halls of Canton; four of them being black men who helped push the game to new heights.
To this day, Jim Brown is widely-regarded as the most dominant running back to ever play the game. And while Ozzie Newsome is more so known to this generation as an elite GM, he’s also one of the NFL’s greatest tight ends.
On top of being outstanding players, Marion Motley and Bill Willis helped integrate professional football as part of the “Forgotten Four” along with the Rams’ Woody Strode and Kenny Washington.
Of course that couldn’t have happened without the late Paul Brown, who played a key role in smashing the sport’s color barrier without even thinking about it.
“[Paul] integrated pro football without uttering a single word about integration,” Jim Brown once said. “He just went out, signed a bunch of great black athletes, and started kicking butt.”