The Cleveland Browns are a member of the National Football League and play their home games in the city of Cleveland. As a member of the American Football Conference North division, they are named in honor of Paul Brown, the team’s initial coach and co-founder.
As the beating heart of a defense, the linebacker is an important position to have a deep bench at. Linebacker has long been a consistent position for the Browns, despite the fact that they have never had a player inducted into the Hall of Fame from the team.
Here is a list of the top 5 Cleveland Browns Best Linebackers Of All-Time
1. Clay Matthews Jr.
At a time when the Browns’ defense was at its pinnacle, Clay Mathews served as the team’s linchpin. Matthews had 1,430 tackles, 24 forced fumbles, and 14 interceptions while playing for the Browns, despite the fact that none of his sacks from his first five seasons were included in the team’s official statistics.
He started 10 playoff games and was an important part of the team’s seven postseason victories.
2. Walt Michaels
For the 1952 season, he was sent back to Cleveland, where he established himself as one of the greatest linebackers in Packers history by playing on the right side. There were five straight NFL Championship games in which Michaels was named to the Pro Bowl. The team won back-to-back championships in 1954 and 1955.
3. Jim Houston
Throughout his 13-year career, Houston was an aggressive defender who missed only three games and helped the Browns win every season. In 177 games, he had 14 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries, including one he returned 79 yards for a touchdown.
For the Cleveland Browns, Houston was a four-time Pro Bowl defensive end and linebacker.
4. Chip Banks
While playing for the Browns, Banks made an immediate impact with 5.5 sacks and 1 interception in 9 games. As a rookie, he was voted Rookie of the Year (the only defensive player in Brown’s history to win the award), and he was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
5. Galen Fiss
As a player, Fiss is best known for his performance in the NFL championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in 1964. Despite being huge underdogs, the Browns pulled off a shock victory by winning 27–0. A vital open-field tackle by one of the team’s captains early in the game and a throw tip intercepted by a teammate was among Fiss’s many contributions.
