The Cleveland Browns have boasted some of the NFL's all-time greatest running backs through the franchise's 74-year history.
If current star Nick Chubb sticks around long enough, he'll make his way onto this list, but for now, here are the three best runners who have played for the Browns in franchise history.
3. Marion Motley, 1946-1953
A World War II veteran, Motley was a member of the first Browns team, and when the franchise joined the NFL four years later in 1950, Motley promptly lead the league in rushing.
He spent a total of eight years in Cleveland, rushing for 4,720 yards and 31 touchdowns. He did this while playing linebacker as well, and both he and teammate Bill Willis had to deal with rampant racism in the 1940s and 50s.
Motley and Willis, along with Kenny Washington and Woody Strode of the Los Angeles Rams, were the first African-Americans to play in the NFL, and broke football's color barrier before Jackie Robinson was promoted to the Major League.
Motley's hard-charging running style took a toll on his body, and he dealt with multiple knee injuries which severely hampered his effectiveness, forcing him to retire prior to the 1954 season. He attempted a comeback in 1955 after being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but had only two carries on the year, playing almost exclusively as a linebacker, and was released after six games.
His career stats have been passed up, but Motley remains an all-time great. He won five championships, made one Pro Bowl, and was named an All-Pro twice. His 5.7 career yards per carry still pace all NFL RBs, and the only players ahead of him are Michael Vick (7.0) and Randall Cunningham (6.4), both of whom are quarterbacks.
In 1968, Motley became the second African-American to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Leroy Kelly, 1964-1973
Losing Jim Brown to an abrupt retirement following the 1965 season certainly hurt the Browns, but Leroy Kelly picked up the slack just fine.
He played behind Brown for his first two seasons in Cleveland, carrying the ball a total of 43 times. In his first year as a starter, Kelly ran for 1,141 yards, and his 15 rushing touchdowns led the NFL. He ran for over 1,200 yards in each of the next two seasons and scored 11 and 16 touchdowns, respectively, all of which paced the league. Kelly also became an effective receiver out of the backfield, catching four scores through the air in 1968.
Kelly played a total of 10 years in the NFL, all with the Browns. He ran for 7,272 yards and 74 touchdowns and added 2,281 yards and 13 TDs through the air. Additionally, Kelly returned kicks and punts, bringing his all-purpose yardage total to 12,330 yards.
During his career, Kelly won one NFL championship, made six Pro Bowls, and five All-Pro teams. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, meaning the Browns went from one Hall of Fame runner straight to another, and there was only a four-year gap between Motley and Brown.
Calling the Browns of the 40s, 50s, and 60s a dynasty is an understatement, and Kelly was an integral part.
1. Jim Brown, 1957-1965
Brown is not only the greatest RB of all time but has a very good argument to the title of best player of all time. He is the only player in NFL history to average 100 rushing yards per game, a feat that is unlikely to ever be matched.
He was a physically dominant player at 6'2″ 232lbs, and his production is simply spectacular. He rushed for 1,000 or more yards in seven of his nine NFL seasons, and the two times he didn't were the lowest carry marks of his career, and he still got close, missing by 56 yards in 1957 and just four in 1962. He came back in 1963 to average a career-high 6.4 yards per carry on his way to 1,863 yards, also a career-best.
Over his nine seasons, Brown rushed for 12,312 yards and 106 touchdowns and added 2,499 yards and 20 scores through the air. He was an NFL Champion once and was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in every campaign of his career.
After putting up the second-highest yardage total of his career (1,544) in 1965, Brown suddenly retired at the age of 29 to pursue an acting career. To this day, Brown ranks 11th in career rushing yards and sixth in touchdowns. He became a Hall of Famer in 1971, the definition of a first-ballot player. Had he played for another five or six years, Brown's records would have been unreachable.
Although, his early exit from football aids in his legend, as he was never seen past his prime, as other greats like Emmitt Smith were.
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