Unlike the 1950s and 1960s, the 1970s were not the glory days of the Cleveland Browns, but they did have some bright spots, one of which was Defensive Tackle Jerry Sherk.

Sherk was a Brown for the entirety of his 12-year career, winning the starting job on the right side as a rookie.  He would grow into one of the top pass rushers for the Browns through the decade, exceeding the 10-Sack plateau four times, accruing 70.5 in total.  From 1973 to 1976, Sherk was a Pro Bowl honoree, with the last four years seeing the former Oklahoma State Cowboy capture First Team All-Pro honors.  That year, he was so good that the NEA (Newspaper Enterprise Association) named him the Defensive Player of the Year.  The Browns named him as one of their Legends in 2005.