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1953 Cleveland Browns

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Record: 11-1-0, Finished 1st in NFL East Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 348 points (29.0/g), 4th of 12 in the NFL.
 Allowed 162 points (13.5/g), 1st.
 Differential of 186 points (15.5/g), 1st.
 Expected W-L: 10.3-1.7.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +17 (1.4/g), 1st.

Simple Rating System: Total 14.0, Offense: 7.0, Defense: 7.0, SoS: -1.5, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Paul Brown

Training Camp: Hiram College (Hiram, Ohio)

Starters

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters
QB Otto Graham*+ 32 7 11 167 for 258, 2,722 yards, 11 td, 9 int, & 43 rushes for 143 yards and 6 td Detroit Lions / 1st / 4th pick / 1944
FB Chick Jagade* 27 4 0 86 rushes for 344 yards, 4 td, & 20 catches for 193 yards and 0 td Washington Redskins / 14th / 118th pick / 1948
KR Ken Carpenter 27 3 0 16 kick returns for a 22.9 average and 0 td Cleveland Browns / 1st / 13th pick / 1950
RH Dub Jones 29 7 0 31 rushes for 28 yards, 0 td, & 24 catches for 373 yards and 0 td Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 2nd pick / 1946
LE Pete Brewster 23 1 12 32 catches for 632 yards, 4 td Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 21st pick / 1952
K Lou Groza*+ 29 7 0 23 of 26 field goals & 39 of 40 extra points
LG Abe Gibron* 28 4 0 New York Giants / 6th / 55th pick / 1949
C Frank Gatski+ 31 7 0
RG Chuck Noll 21 Rook 0 Cleveland Browns / 20th / 239th pick / 1953
RT John Sandusky 28 3 0 3 fumbles recovered Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 18th pick / 1950
RE Dante Lavelli* 30 7 0 45 catches for 783 yards, 6 td Los Angeles Rams / 12th / 103rd pick / 1947
 Defensive Starters
LDE Doug Atkins 23 Rook 0 Cleveland Browns / 1st / 11th pick / 1953
LDT Don Colo 28 3 0 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Baltimore Colts / 3rd / 28th pick / 1950
MG Bill Willis+ 32 7 0 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered
RDT Derrell Palmer 31 7 0 Chicago Bears / 6th / 49th pick / 1943
RDE Len Ford*+ 27 5 0 1 interception, 3 fumbles recovered
LLB Tom Catlin 22 Rook 0 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered Baltimore Colts / 4th / 38th pick / 1953
RLB Tommy W. Thompson+ 26 4 0 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Washington Redskins / 3rd / 16th pick / 1948
LDH Warren Lahr* 30 4 0 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Pittsburgh Steelers / 32nd / 294th pick / 1947
RDH Tommy James* 30 6 0 5 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Detroit Lions / 17th / 146th pick / 1947
LS Ken Gorgal 24 3 0 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Cleveland Browns / 6th / 78th pick / 1950
RS Ken Konz 25 Rook 0 5 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Cleveland Browns / 1st / 14th pick / 1951
 Special Teams Starters
K Lou Groza*+ 29 7 0 23 of 26 field goals & 39 of 40 extra points
P Horace Gillom 32 6 0 63 punts for a 43.8 average, 0 blocked
PR Billy Reynolds 22 Rook 0 18 punt returns for a 6.2 average and 0 td Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1953
KR Ken Carpenter 27 3 0 16 kick returns for a 22.9 average and 0 td Cleveland Browns / 1st / 13th pick / 1950

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs AV Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
83 Doug Atkins 23 LDE 8 0 257 6-8 Tennessee 5/8/1930 Rook 8 Cleveland Browns / 1st / 11th pick / 1953
88 Pete Brewster 23 LE 12 12 210 6-3 Purdue 9/1/1930 1 7 Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 21st pick / 1952
20 Ken Carpenter 27 KR 12 0 195 6-0 Oregon St. 2/26/1926 3 7 Cleveland Browns / 1st / 13th pick / 1950
50 Tom Catlin 22 LLB 12 0 213 6-1 Oklahoma 9/8/1931 Rook 8 Baltimore Colts / 4th / 38th pick / 1953
70 Don Colo 28 LDT 12 0 252 6-3 Brown 1/5/1925 3 8 Baltimore Colts / 3rd / 28th pick / 1950
66 Gene Donaldson 23 11 0 215 5-9 Kentucky 9/29/1930 Rook 2 Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 37th pick / 1953
80 Len Ford*+ 27 RDE 12 0 245 6-4 Morgan St.,Michigan 2/18/1926 5 18
52 Frank Gatski+ 31 C 12 0 233 6-3 Marshall,Auburn 3/18/1922 7 16
64 Abe Gibron* 28 LG 10 0 243 5-11 Valparaiso,Purdue 9/22/1925 4 11 New York Giants / 6th / 55th pick / 1949
84 Horace Gillom 32 P 12 0 221 6-1 Ohio St.,Nevada-Reno 3/3/1921 6 2
15 Ken Gorgal 24 LS 12 0 200 6-2 Purdue 2/13/1929 3 8 Cleveland Browns / 6th / 78th pick / 1950
14 Otto Graham*+ 32 QB 12 11 196 6-1 Northwestern 12/6/1921 7 18 Detroit Lions / 1st / 4th pick / 1944
76 Lou Groza*+ 29 K 12 0 240 6-3 Ohio St. 1/25/1924 7 16
79 Jerry Helluin 24 6 0 272 6-2 Tulane 8/8/1929 1 2 Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 38th pick / 1951
62 Lin Houston 32 12 0 213 6-0 Ohio St. 1/11/1921 7 2 Chicago Bears / 11th / 106th pick / 1944
30 Sherman Howard 29 12 0 193 5-11 Iowa,Nevada-Reno 11/28/1924 4 2
32 Chick Jagade* 27 FB 12 0 213 6-0 Indiana 12/9/1926 4 11 Washington Redskins / 14th / 118th pick / 1948
42 Tommy James* 30 RDH 12 0 185 5-10 Ohio St. 9/16/1923 6 12 Detroit Lions / 17th / 146th pick / 1947
40 Dub Jones 29 RH 12 0 202 6-4 Tulane,LSU 12/29/1924 7 7 Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 2nd pick / 1946
22 Ken Konz 25 RS 12 0 184 5-10 LSU 9/25/1928 Rook 8 Cleveland Browns / 1st / 14th pick / 1951
24 Warren Lahr* 30 LDH 12 0 189 5-11 Case Western Reserve 9/5/1923 4 12 Pittsburgh Steelers / 32nd / 294th pick / 1947
86 Dante Lavelli* 30 RE 12 0 191 6-0 Ohio St. 2/23/1923 7 11 Los Angeles Rams / 12th / 103rd pick / 1947
34 Walt Michaels 24 12 0 231 6-0 Washington & Lee 10/16/1929 2 2 Cleveland Browns / 7th / 86th pick / 1951
36 Marion Motley 33 12 0 232 6-1 South Carolina St.,Nevada-Reno 6/5/1920 7 4
65 Chuck Noll 21 RG 12 0 220 6-1 Dayton 1/5/1932 Rook 7 Cleveland Browns / 20th / 239th pick / 1953
72 Derrell Palmer 31 RDT 11 0 240 6-2 TCU 8/27/1922 7 8 Chicago Bears / 6th / 49th pick / 1943
16 George Ratterman 27 qb 9 1 192 6-0 Notre Dame 11/12/1926 6 2 Boston Yanks / 16th / 139th pick / 1948
26 Ray Renfro* 24 12 0 190 6-1 North Texas 11/7/1929 1 7 Cleveland Browns / 4th / 48th pick / 1952
46 Billy Reynolds 22 PR 12 0 195 5-11 Pittsburgh 7/20/1931 Rook 4 Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1953
78 John Sandusky 28 RT 12 0 251 6-1 Villanova 12/28/1925 3 7 Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 18th pick / 1950
56 Don Steinbrunner 21 8 0 220 6-3 Washington St. 4/5/1932 Rook 2 Cleveland Browns / 6th / 71st pick / 1953
54 Tommy W. Thompson+ 26 RLB 9 0 221 6-1 William & Mary 1/6/1927 4 18 Washington Redskins / 3rd / 16th pick / 1948
60 Bill Willis+ 32 MG 11 0 213 6-2 Ohio St. 10/5/1921 7 18
82 George Young 29 12 0 214 6-3 Baldwin-Wallace,Georgia 5/10/1924 7 2
Team Total 27.1 12 217.1 6-1.1 3.8