Tag: Browns Legends

Joe Thomas one of 2 selected to join Browns Legends in 2022

Joe Thomas and Pete Brewster will be honored in the Browns Legends program in 2022

Joe Thomas was a legendary figure during his decade playing left tackle for the Cleveland Browns. Now the Browns will make that legendary status official.

The team announced on Thursday that Thomas is one of the two inductees into the Browns Legends program. It’s a program that recognizes players who had a significant impact on the franchise.

Thomas and Pete Brewster will represent the Legends class of 2022. Brewster was a tight end and defensive end who played in Cleveland from 1952 through 1958. He won two championships and was a two-time Pro Bowl honoree. Brewster passed away in 2020.

Thomas patrolled left tackle from 2007 through his career-ending arm injury in 2017. He never missed a snap in his playing time, logging 10,363 straight NFL snaps. No. 73 was a six-time first-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl 10 straight seasons.

Thomas released a statement via the Browns,

“It feels amazing. The pride that I have as a former Cleveland Brown and Browns alumni is unlimited, and now being able to be in the most exclusive club among Browns alumni is incredibly special to me.”

Thomas and Brewster will be honored at halftime of the Browns’ Week 2 home opener against the New York Jets.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw33aqtym0ft0g player_id=none image=https://brownswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Browns name D’Qwell Jackson and Bill Nelsen to 2021 Browns Legends class

The Browns announced they will induct two more members of their Browns Legends group in 2021.

While the recent history for the Cleveland Browns has been something to forget, there are a few players, seasons and experiences that are worthy of remembering. Further in the past, the Browns franchise was full of many such things.

Cleveland hopes that the near future is more like the distant past than the recent one but still has a chance to honor both. The Browns announced two more members of their 2021 Browns Legends class with D’Qwell Jackson and Bill Nelsen:

 

Jackson played through some very tough times in Cleveland’s franchise. He racked up tackle after tackle during his seven years with the Browns, totaling 826 of them. Jackson also had eight interceptions, five forced fumbles, seven fumble returns and 11.5 sacks with the Browns.

Nelsen comes from the team’s distant past, playing from 1968 through 1972. After five years with Pittsburgh, Nelsen played 58 games for the Browns with a 34 – 16 – 1 record for the team during his 51 starts. In an era where throwing the ball was far less than now, Nelsen threw for over 2,000 yards in four of his five years with the team including 2,743 in 1969.

The team’s website gives the simple criteria for the Browns Legends group:

The three requirements to be eligible for consideration for induction are:

  1. Candidates will have played for at least five seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
  2. Candidates must have been a major contributor at their respective positions.
  3. Candidates will have been retired from playing professional football for at least five years.

Started in 2001, the Browns Legends include the big names of the team’s history and continues to grow by two each year including Josh Cribbs and Webster Slaughter last year.

Josh Cribbs, Webster Slaughter will be inducted into Browns Legends this fall

Josh Cribbs, Webster Slaughter will be inducted into the Browns Legends this fall

Two of the Cleveland Browns’ most popular players of the last 35 years will be immortalized in the team’s Browns Legends program in 2020. Wide receiver Webster Slaughter and special teams superstar Josh Cribbs will be the next two additions to the prestigious program.

In a press release, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam revealed the honor for Slaughter and Cribbs.

“It is always special to spend time with and celebrate Browns alumni, and we are incredibly proud to recognize Webster Slaughter and Josh Cribbs — two of our team’s greats that are also exceptional men — as the newest Browns Legends members. We deeply appreciate everything they, along with all of our alumni, have done for the Browns on the field and how they continue to contribute to our team and our community in meaningful ways.”

The iconic Browns players will be honored during a halftime ceremony Sept. 27 when the team hosts the Washington Redskins at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns Legends program honors players who played for the team for at least five years, were major contributors and are retired for at least five years. An eight-person selection panel chooses the players who are honored in the program, which began in 2001.

[lawrence-related id=30609]