From small Adams State, Don Cockroft played all thirteen of his seasons (1968-80) with the Cleveland Browns.
Cockroft was Cleveland's Place Kicker and Punter for his first nine seasons and was just a Kicker in his last four. Cockroft never went to the Pro Bowl, but three times he led the NFL in Field Goal Percentage and once led the league in Punting Yards. With 1,080 Points, Cockroft is third all-time in franchise history, and was rewarded by the Browns as one of their Legends in 2007.
After three years in the NFL, Don Colo found a steady home in Cleveland, where he was a silent but lethal contributor to Paul Brown and his defensive corps.
Colo was instrumental in Cleveland's 1954 and 1955 NFL Championships, with the Defensive Tackle using his size and speed to collect three Pro Bowls and three Second Team All-Pros. Colo might be forgotten by some, but not by us, and not by the Browns, who announced him as one of their Legends in 2015.
A member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his work at Baylor, Bill Glass began his pro career in Detroit, but four years later, in 1962, he was traded to Cleveland, which proved to be beneficial for the Defensive End.
In his first year as a Brown, Glass became Cleveland's top pass rusher, accruing 15.5 Sacks and going to his first Pro Bowl. Glass again was a Pro Bowler the next two seasons and was a big part of their 1964 NFL Championship.
Glass set a personal best in 16.5 Sacks in 1965 and had 15 the following year. Again with double-digits in Sacks (10.5) in 1967, Glass earned his fourth Pro Bowl. Retiring in 1968, Glass had 77.5 Sacks for the Browns, and Cleveland listed him as one of their Legends in 2007.
Abe Gibron played his first year of pro football (1949) with the original Buffalo Bills of the AAFC, but that would be the last year of the upstart league, and the Bills were not one of the organizations that would merge with the NFL. A deal was struck with the Browns, and the outgoing Bills ownership sent Gibron and two other players to Cleveland in exchange for a small portion of club ownership.
It was a fantastic landing place for Gibron, who helped the Browns win the 1950 NFL Championship as a backup Guard. As his game improved, Gibron generated a four-year run of Pro Bowls (1952-55), with him playing critical roles in the 1954 and 1955 Titles.
Gibron was released the following year, and he continued to play on with stints in Philadelphia and Chicago. The Browns would induct him as one of their team Legends in 2015.