Michael Dean Perry – Syndication Server

Clemson football all-time roster: Defensive starters and backups

See which legends of defense made the cut in our all-time Clemson football roster.

A program with a long, rich history, Clemson has seen a lot of great teams with a lot of incredible talent over the years as the program has developed into a marquee name in college football.

Clemson has developed some incredible talent on the defensive side of the ball that has made the Tigers known consistently as one of the most dangerous defensive teams in the country year after year. From Christian Wilkins and the Power Rangers to Jeff “the Judge” Davis, Clemson has produced some serious defensive talent.

Becoming a premier program more recently under current head coach Dabo Swinney, some of the defenses we’ve seen from the team in recent years are some of the best in college football history.

Wondering what an all-time Clemson roster would look like? We’ve got you covered! Clemson Wire and the rest of our College Wire sites recently put together our all-time program rosters.

Here’s a look at our choices for the Defensive starters and backups on Clemson football’s all-time roster.

See the all-time Clemson offense here.

Check out our other College Wire all-time defenses: Alabama / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC

Clay Matthews, Josh Cribbs among many Browns nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Will this finally be the year for Browns legend Clay Matthews Jr. to earn enshrinement in Canton? Matthews headlines a large group of players with Cleveland Browns ties in the initial nominations for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and it’s enshrinement class of 2021.

Matthews has been a semifinalist three times, including last year, but has yet to get the gold jacket. He’s the most likely of any of the players with Browns ties to earn the nod in 2021.

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Also prominent among the Browns nominated is special teamer extraordinaire Josh Cribbs. While he never found a home at running back or wide receiver, Cribbs made three Pro Bowls as a return man. He ranks third in NFL history in total return yards, kick returns yards and scored 11 TDs. Cribbs was also one of the best special teams coverage men of his era.

Joining Matthews and Cribbs on the list of Browns among the 130 players who made the initial nomination list:

(in alphabetical order)

Lomas Brown – primarily knows for his Pro Bowl-laden career with the Detroit Lions, Brown played left tackle for the expansion 1999 Browns.

Earnest Byner – one of the most electrifying and productive dual-threat RBs of the 1980s, Byner played half of his 14-year career in Cleveland.

Jake Delhomme – the longtime Panthers quarterback went 2-2 as the starter for the Browns in 2010.

Jeff Garcia – The consummate journeyman QB, Garcia started 10 games for Cleveland in 2004. It was the second stop in Garcia’s journey that saw him play for six teams in seven years.

Jamal Lewis – after a great career with the rival Ravens, Lewis finished his impressive RB career with three seasons (2007-2009) in Cleveland. He topped 1,300 yards rushing in his first year with the Browns, the most of any in a season for a Cleveland RB not named Jim Brown until Nick Chubb passed it in 2019.

Eric Metcalf – the slippery runner/receiver/return man spent his first six seasons (1989-1994) with the Browns and quickly earned fan-favorite status for his sashaying style. He made the Pro Bowl twice and first-team All-Pro once in Cleveland.

Willie McGinest – McGinest spent the final three (2006-2008) of his 18 NFL seasons with the Browns after an illustrious career as an outside LB with the Patriots prior to that.

Michael Dean Perry – My personal favorite Browns player ever, Perry played defensive line for Cleveland in his first seven seasons (1988-1994). He made five Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro squads in those years.

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The 7 best Browns players not in the Hall of Fame

Who are the 7 best Cleveland Browns not already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

The Cleveland Browns are well-represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame down I-77 in Canton. There are 22 Hall of Famers who spent at least one season with the franchise, including founder/coach Paul Brown.

There are several other Browns alums who at least merit a conversation about Hall-of-Fame worthiness. At least one of these players will eventually earn enshrinement, but all are worth discussing. Here are the seven Cleveland Browns not currently in the Hall of Fame that have the best cases for getting in at some point.

Clay Matthews

It’s almost shameful that Matthews wasn’t part of the centennial class in 2020. He’s widely cited as one of the best players not already in the Hall, and has held that status for several years.

During his 16 seasons in Cleveland (1978-1993), Matthews was a model of consistent excellence. The Browns list Matthews as the team’s career sack leader with 76.5, although some of those were notched before sacks became an official NFL statistic in 1982.

Matthews made four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team, but he was a player whose impact transcended the traditional statistics. He does have the stats too, however; Matthews led the NFL in total tackles four times and he’s the only player to log at least one 100-tackle season in three separate decades.

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Former Browns DL coach John Teerlinck has passed away

Longtime NFL defensive line coach John Teerlinck has passed away. Teerlinck spent two seasons leading the Cleveland Browns defensive line. He was 69.

Teerlinck is best-known in the NFL for his work with the Indianapolis Colts, where he coached the defensive line from 2002-2012 and worked wonders with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis as two of the premier pass rushers of their era. But the former Chargers defensive tackle got his NFL coaching start with the Browns in 1989.

He made a splash right away working with precocious pass rusher Michael Dean Perry on those 1989-1990 Browns. Teerlinck transformed “MDP” from a promising 2nd-round rookie in 1988 into a first-team All-Pro in both years working with Perry.

Teerlinck later worked with Hall-of-Famer John Randle in Minnesota, and Randle asked his beloved coach to present him at his Hall of Fame induction.

We here at Browns Wire extend our condolences to Teerlinck’s family and those he impacted.