Cleveland Browns Team History

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To dismay of the city of Cleveland, the original Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore Maryland and took the name Baltimore Ravens in 1996. The city of Cleveland tried to block the move, but eventually entered a deal with the NFL, and the former Cleveland Browns which allowed the city of Cleveland to retain the name and records for a future Browns franchise.

In 1998, the NFL granted expansion for a new team that would use the traditional colors of orange, brown and white. The Browns rejoined the NFL in 1999. The original Browns incarnation was a steady winner. They posted only 12 losing records in 46 seasons with three league championships and seven division titles from 1950 to 1962. They made the playoff's seven times during the 1980's and had three AFC Championship appearances.

Cleveland Browns Chronological History

1947

The Cleveland Browns win the AAFC Championship by defeating the New York Yankees 14 - 9

1948

The Cleveland Browns win the AAFC Championship by defeating the New York Yankees 14 - 3

1949

The Cleveland Browns win the AAFC Championship by defeating the Buffalo Bills 49 - 7

1950

The Browns joined the National Football League (NFL) and quickly established a winning record becoming the leagues best team by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 30 - 28 in the NFL Championship game.

1951

The Browns lose NFL title to the Los Angeles Rams with a 24 - 17 loss.

1952

The Cleveland Browns lose NFL championship game with a 17 - 7 loss to the Detroit Lions.

1953

Cleveland is defeated by the Detroit Lions 17 - 16 in NFL Championship game

1954

The Browns win NFL title by defeating the Detroit Lions 56 - 10.

1955

The Browns take the NFL championship title once again by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 38 - 14.

1957

Cleveland Browns lose NFL Championship Game 59 - 14 to the Detroit Lions.

1964

The Cleveland Browns win the NFL title for a third time. (Cleveland has been a very successful team but still has not won the "Super Bowl" as the first game was not played until 1967).

1968

The Browns win a division title but lose the NFL championship game 34 - 0 to the Baltimore Colts.

1969

The Browns win another division title but this time lose the NFL Championship game to the Minnesota Vikings 27 - 7.

1971

Although the Browns qualify for the playoff's, they're knocked out in the first round.

1972

The Browns are again knocked out in the first round of the playoff's.

1980

The Browns win the AFC Championship.

1985

Marty took over the reigns in C-town, and a rookie quarterback came into his own in 1985. Bernie Kosar took over the offense after four games and led the Browns to the first of three consecutive division crowns

1986

The Browns begin the first of a series of AFC Championship losses against the Denver Broncos.

1987

The Browns fall yet again to the Broncos in the AFC Championship.

1989

The Broncos smackdown the Browns once more in the AFC Championship.

1995

The Cleveland Browns team moves to Baltimore, leaving the Browns records and history to become a new franchise called the Ravens.

1999

Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999 with high hopes and expectations, featuring deep-pocketed ownership in Al Lerner.

2006

For the Fourth year in a row the Browns record double digit losses. 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 were among the worst in franchise history.

2007

After a season a surprising 10-6 record, Cleveland missed the playoffs due to a tie-breaker. Nevertheless, the record was the team's best since 1994 with six players earning Pro Bowl recognition.

2008

Savage and Crennel were fired after a horrible season which finished off with six straight losses with a franchise first two consecutive shutouts

2009

The Browns hired former New York Jets coach Eric Mangini as head coach and on January 25, the team hired George Kokinis as the team's general manager. Despite the changes the team continued to struggle ending the season 5 - 11.

2011

On January 3, 2011, after losing four games in a row to end the season, Holmgren and the Browns decided to fire head coach Eric Mangini, who posted a record of 10-22 in his two seasons as head coach

2012

In July 2012, owner Randy Lerner announced that he planned to sell the Browns to businessman Jimmy Haslam. The sale was finalized on August 2, 2012 in excess of $1 Billion (USD).

2013

On January 15, 2013, Haslam and Banner announced that the naming rights to Cleveland Browns Stadium were sold to FirstEnergy, and the stadium would be renamed FirstEnergy Stadium. The name change officially received Cleveland City Council approval on February 15, 2013.

Cleveland Browns Franchise Information

Franchise Granted: 1946
First Season: 1946
Franchise History:
1946 - 1949 Cleveland Browns (AAFC)
1950 - Present Cleveland Browns (NFL)
Franchise Granted Again: 1999

The Cleveland All-America Football Conference franchise conducted a fan contest in 1945 to name the team. The most popular submission was "Browns" in recognition of the team's first coach and general manager Paul Brown, who was already a popular figure in Ohio sports. Brown at first vetoed the choice and the team selected from the contest entries the name "Panthers." However, after an area businessman informed the team that he owned the rights to the name Cleveland Panthers, from an earlier failed football team, Brown rescinded his objection and agreed to the use of his name.

Cleveland Browns - Stadium

FirstEnergy Stadium

(formerly Cleveland Browns Stadium) (1999-present)
100 Alfred Lerner Way
Cleveland, Ohio, 44114
Surface Grass
Seating 71,516
Opened Sept. 12, 1999
Phone (513) 621-3550
Fax (513) 621-3570
Tenants:
Cleveland Browns

Previous Stadiums

Cleveland Stadium (78,512) 1946-95 ** Renamed to Municipal Stadium 1946-74

Cleveland Browns

League Championships

1946 (AAFC), 1947 (AAFC), 1948 (AAFC), 1949 (AAFC), 1950 (NFL), 1954 (NFL), 1955 (NFL), 1956 (NFL), 1964 (NFL)

Conference Championships

1950 (AFC), 1951 (AFC), 1952 (AFC), 1953 (EFC), 1954 (EFC), 1955 (EFC), 1957 (EFC), 1964 (EFC), 1965 (EFC), 1968 (EFC), 1969 (EFC)

Division Championships

1967 (NFL Century), 1968 (NFL Century), 1969 (NFL Century), 1971 (AFC Central), 1980 (AFC Central), 1985 (AFC Central), 1986 (AFC Central), 1987 (AFC Central), 1989 (AFC Central)

Wild Card Wins

1994 (AFC Central)

Years in Playoffs

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2002

Coaches

Rob Chudzinski

2013 -

Pat Shurmur

2011 - 2012

Eric Mangini

2009 - 2010

Romeo Crennel

2005 - 2008

Terry Robiskie

2004

Butch Davis

2001 - 2004

Chris Palmer

1999 - 2000

Bill Belichick

1991 - 1995

Jim Shofner

1990

Bud Carson

1989 - 1990

Marty Schottenheimer

1984 - 1988

Sam Rutigliano

1978 - 1984

Dick Modzelewski

1977

Forrest Gregg

1975 - 1977

Nick Skorich

1971 - 1975

Blanton Collier

1963 - 1970

Paul Brown

1950 - 1962

Retired Numbers

#14 Otto Graham #32 Jim Brown #45 Ernie Davis #46 Don Fleming #76 Lou Groza

Hall of Fame Members

Bill Willis

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953

Marion Motley

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955

Otto Graham

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955

Dante Lavelli

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956

Frank Gatski

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956

Lou Groza

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967

Paul Brown

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962

Len Ford

1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958

Don Shula

1951, 1952

Doug Atkins

1953, 1954

Mike McCormack

1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962

Henry Jordan

1957, 1958

Jim Brown

1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965

Willie Davis

1958, 1959

Bobby Mitchell

1958, 1959, 1960, 1961

Len Dawson

1960, 1961

Paul Warfield

1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1976, 1977

Leroy Kelly

1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973

Tommy McDonald

1968

Forrest Gregg

1975, 1976, 1977

Ozzie Newsome

1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990

Joe DeLamielleure

1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984