CLEVELAND (WKBN) – Have you ever wondered how many NFL players from our area have played for the Cleveland Browns?
According to Pro Football Reference, 15 local players have suited up for the Browns in their 75-year history.
Three combined Super Bowl titles have been won by these players. Let’s see if you recognize any of these names:
Bob Babich: The Youngstown-born linebacker and Campbell Memorial High School graduate was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft. After three seasons with the Chargers, he played for the Browns from 1973-1978. Babich finished his career with seven sacks, six interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
R.J. Bowers: Bowers was born in Hawaii and played football at West Middlesex High School in Mercer County. The running back played in eight games in the NFL with the Steelers and Browns from 2001-2003. He finished with 84 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.
Andy Cvercko: The Campbell native played college football at Northwestern before he was selected in the fifth round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Cvercko, an offensive guard, played the 1960 season in Green Bay and he played the following two seasons in Dallas. Cverko played for the Browns for two games in 1963 before finishing his career in Washington. Cvercko started 24 of his 47 NFL games.
Judson Flint: The Farrell-born defensive back played for the Browns for three seasons from 1980-1982. He had three interceptions and one fumble recovery in Cleveland. He played one game for the Buffalo Bills in 1983.
John Greco: The offensive lineman from Boardman was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 2008 NFL Draft. He went on to play for the Cleveland Browns in six seasons of his 10-year career from 2011-2016. He played for the New York Giants from 2017-2018. He started in 77 of the 132 games played in his career.
Troy Hill: The Youngstown-born defensive back first entered the NFL as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Los Angeles Rams in 2016. Hill and the Rams went on to lose to the Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2019. Hill signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2021 before he returned to the Rams in 2022. He finished with 67 tackles and one interception in 12 games in 2022. Hill is a member of the Carolina Panthers this season, where he has nine tackles and one interception thus far.
Fred Hoaglin: Hoaglin played as a center and played high school football at East Palestine. He was drafted by the Browns in the 1966 NFL Draft. He went on to play for the Browns for seven seasons and he was named to the Pro Bowl in 1969. He also played for the Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers, and Seattle Seahawks during his career.
Bobby Jones: The Sharon native and Brookfield graduate played as a wide receiver for the New York Jets from 1978-1982. He played his final season with the Cleveland Browns in 1983. In 81 career games, Jones finished with 89 receptions, 1,368 yards and six touchdowns.
Ishmaa’ily Kitchen: The nose tackle from Cardinal Mooney played college football at Kent State. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 2012-2014. He also was a member of the Detroit Lions and the New England Patriots. Kitchen had 78 tackles in 42 career games.
Bernie Kosar: A Boardman High School product, Kosar threw for over 21,900 yards when he was a longtime star of the Cleveland Browns. In 1993, after seven games played, former Browns head coach and current Patriots coach Bill Belichick cut the QB. Later that season, Kosar went on to win a championship as a backup with the Dallas Cowboys. After that season, he played three seasons with the Miami Dolphins before retiring.
Hugh McKinnis: The Sharon-born running back/fullback was drafted by the Browns in the 1972 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the Browns before he played his last season with the Seahawks. McKinnis has 960 yards and 10 touchdowns in 52 career games.
Craig Powell: The linebacker from Youngstown played college football at Ohio State before he was drafted by the Browns in 1995. Powell also played for the Ravens and Jets during his three-year career. He played in 14 total NFL games.
Terry Taylor: The defensive back from Warren was drafted in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Taylor had a two-season stint with the Browns and he also played for the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. He had 25 interceptions and two touchdowns in his 11-year NFL career.
Steve Vallos: The Boardman High School graduate was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Vallos started as an offensive guard in nine of his 59 career NFL games with the Seahawks, Browns, Jaguars, Eagles and Broncos. Vallos competed with the Broncos and lost to the Seahawks in Super Bowl XVIII.
Paul Warfield: The Warren G. Harding graduate and former Ohio State Buckeye is the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on this list. In his time with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, he qualified for the Pro Bowl eight times, finished as a First-Team AP All-Pro twice, and led the league in receiving touchdowns twice. Warfield was selected to the Pro Bowl three times as a member of the Browns. Warfield and the Dolphins won the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons from 1972-1973. Warfield played his final two seasons with the Browns from 1976-1977.
The Cleveland Browns (6-3) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) this Sunday in Week 11 in a game that has major AFC North and playoff implications. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on WKBN-TV.
