The Cleveland Browns dynasty was in its dying days within the early Seventies after years of being one of many league’s marquee franchises.

A playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins in 1972 closed out a 27-year run that noticed the Browns gather eight league championships and make the postseason 19 occasions.

Associated: The very best participant to put on No. 26 in Browns historical past

That season additionally noticed the debut of security Thom Darden, who would spend the following decade because the anchor of the defensive secondary and earn him the choice as one of the best participant to put on No. 27 in franchise historical past.

Darden’s old flame was baseball and he virtually signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians following a tryout whereas at Sandusky Excessive College. However he turned enamored with soccer after switching from offense to protection in highschool and embraced the chance to be the one meting out the hits on opposing gamers.

Soccer offered a possibility to get out of his hometown and he accepted a scholarship to play at Michigan, the place he was a two-time All-American and All-Massive Ten choice for the Wolverines.

The Browns chosen Darden within the first spherical of the 1972 NFL Draft and he turned a right away starter on protection, a spot he would maintain by the 1981 season as he made 124 begins. A extreme knee harm compelled him to overlook the 1975 season, however he got here again robust in 1976 and earned a Second Staff All-NFL choice.

Darden led the NFL in interceptions (10) and return yards (200) in 1978 and remains to be the franchise chief in profession interceptions (45) and return yards (820).

Cleveland solely made one different playoff look after Darden’s rookie season, which got here towards the Oakland Raiders in 1980, and that crew, affectionately generally known as the Kardiac Children, maintain a particular place in Darden’s coronary heart, as he advised clevelandbrowns.com in 2020:

“The one factor that I’ve realized, and it follows me each in enterprise and in elevating children, there’s a specific amount of affection and, I suppose you name it, alternative that comes with a crew, an organized crew, particularly within the sports activities realm. There’s an intangible feeling of success that you have already got. I didn’t play on one other Browns crew that had all of these intangible emotions that we had on that crew. We went into each recreation realizing that, so long as we stayed shut, regardless, someway or one other we had been going to win the sport on the finish of the sport.”

Darden might have performed throughout one of many darker intervals in franchise historical past, however he nonetheless managed to make his mark as one of the best participant to sport No. 27 for the Browns.

If not Darden, then who?

The Browns signed working again Kareem Hunt as a free agent heading into the 2019 season and in his 4 years with the membership (he’s presently a free agent and never anticipated to re-sign with the Browns) mixed with working again Nick Chubb to type a gifted backfield duo.

Hunt’s greatest yr in Cleveland got here within the playoff season of 2020 when he had 1,145 mixed yards from scrimmage and 11 mixed touchdowns. He’s presently at No. 20 on the franchise’s all-time dashing listing with 1,874 yards, tied at No. 14 with Bobby Mitchell and Cleo Miller with 16 profession dashing touchdowns, and at No. 40 in profession receptions with 132.

The very best of the remaining

Security Al Gross, who performed for the Browns from 1983 to 1987 and was a member of the protection that went to consecutive AFC Championship Video games in 1986 and 1987, defensive again Nick Sorenson, who appeared in 56 video games for the Browns from 2007 to 2010, security Stevon Moore, who had 5 interceptions whereas beginning 52 video games for the Browns from 1992 to 1995, and large receiver/kick returner Walter Roberts, who performed in Cleveland from 1964 to 1966 and averaged 25.9 yards on 62 kickoff returns and resides at No. 9 on the franchise’s all-time listing for kickoff return yards with 1,608.