A collegiate player at Ohio State, Tommy James played with the Detroit Lions of the NFL in his rookie year, but he was cut following a year with a broken arm. Like Brown did with many former Buckeyes, Paul Brown signed James, and he would make the Cleveland Browns for the 1948 Season.
James was a good Defensive Back who helped Cleveland win the last two AAFC Championships and the 1950 NFL Championship when the leagues merged. Named to the Pro Bowl in 1953, James would win two more Titles in 1954 and 1955 while picking off QBs for 34 Interceptions. The Browns would name James as one of their Legends in 2004.
An All-American at Kansas State, Clarence Scott was the recipient of Cleveland’s First Round Pick (14th Overall) in 1971, and it was with the Browns that he would spend his entire 13-year career.
Scott started at Cornerback, and he would record at least two Interceptions every year except for 1972. A Pro Bowler in 1973, Scott cracked the five-pick mark that year and had four other years with four.
Scott would move to Safety in the last five years of his career but remained a starter until his final year in 1983. Scott would have 39 Interceptions over his career, and in 2012, the Browns named him as one of their Legends.
Doug Dieken does not get much press for his work as a player outside of Cleveland, but this is one of the best value picks in franchise history.
From the University of Illinois, Dieken came in as a Sixth Round Pick in 1971, and he would stay with the Browns until he retired after the 1984 Season. Dieken started five Games at Left Tackle as a rookie, and he became the starter the year after, which was where he stayed for over a decade. A Pro Bowler in 1980, Dieken is one of the few players to appear in over 200 Games for the Browns.
He would later be a broadcaster for the team, and in 2006, Dieken was announced as one of the Browns' Legends.
Greg Pruitt was a bit undersized (180lb), but when you are a two-time All-American (and eventual College Football Hall of Famer), the NFL will still call, which in his case were the Browns with a high Second Round Pick in 1973.
In his rookie year, Pruitt was used as a backup Running Back and was a Pro Bowl as a returner, and it was much of the same as a sophomore, though he played more at Running Back, setting up what was to come. In 1975, Pruitt was now the starting RB, and that year and the two that followed saw the former Sooner hit 1,000 Yards, and a third and fourth Pro Bowl (1976 & 1977). Pruitt slowed down afterward, and eventually lost his starting role, though he was still a productive force for Cleveland.
After the 1981 Season, Pruitt joined the Los Angeles Raiders, mainly as a returner, and would win a Super Bowl Ring. With the Browns, Pruitt had 10,700 All-Purpose Yards. Later, in 2001, Pruitt was one of the first four former Browns named to their legends category.