One can argue that Jim Ray Smith missed his window to be known on a higher level as he arrived in Cleveland one year too late and left two years too early, as the Browns would win NFL Championships before and after his arrival, but this was no reflection on the playing ability of Jim Ray Smith.
Smith was drafted in 1954 as an early draftee (Cleveland won the title that year), but due to military commitments, did not arrive until 1956. Smith played both sides, but excelled as an Offensive Lineman, earning his first of what would be five straight Pro Bowls in 1958. In that half-decade time frame, Smith would also be named a First or Second Team All-Pro (three First Team and two Second Team). He retired right after, though he came out of retirement for two seasons with his home-state team, the Dallas Cowboys.
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