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Football seasons come and go, but good books endure. Below is the most comprehensive list anywhere of books related to the Cleveland Browns -- journalism, memoir, history, biography, photography, reference and more -- even true crime and fiction. (Media guides, yearbooks, and books for juvenile readers are not included). These 66 titles are sorted by year of publication.

Click the links (Powell’s and Amazon affiliate) to learn more and add to your own library or to that of a fellow Browns fan. My general survey of Cleveland Browns books appears in the January 2008 issue of the Orange and Brown Report Magazine. Reviews of One Moment Changes Everything and The Best Show in Football are scheduled to appear in the February issue.

Whether it’s a fresh title or one out-of-print and overlooked, a Browns book has to be a better gift than a Tim Couch jersey, eh?

I update this page periodically, so feel free to bookmark it, and please send along your tips on upcoming titles, recommendations, feedback, and corrections.








One Moment Changes Everything: The All-America Tragedy of Don Rogers by Sean D. Harvey, 2007

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Browns Scrapbook: A Fond Look Back at Five Decades of Football, from a Legendary Cleveland Sportswriter by Chuck Heaton, 2007

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Playing For Pizza: A Novel by John Grisham, 2007

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Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero by Mike Freeman, 2006

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Heart of a Mule: The Dick Schafrath Stories by Dick Schafrath, 2006

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The Best Show in Football: The 1946-1955 Cleveland Browns--Pro Football’s Greatest Dynasty by Andy Piascik, 2006

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Sundays in the Pound: The Heroics and Heartbreak of the 1985-89 Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, 2006

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Browns Essential: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Real Fan! by Mary Schmitt Boyer, 2006

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Browns Glory: For the Love of Ozzie, the Toe, and Otto by Alan Ross (ed.), 2005

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Cleveland Browns History by Frank M. Henkel, 2005

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For Browns Fans Only! by Rich Wolfe, 2005

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The Education of a Coach by David Halberstam, 2005

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False Start: How The New Browns Were Set Up To Fail by Terry Pluto, 2004

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Tales From the Browns Sideline by Tony Grossi, 2004

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OttoMatic by Duey Graham, 2004

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Best of Hal Lebovitz: Great Sportswriting from Six Decades in Cleveland by Hal Lebovitz, 2004

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Heroes, Scamps, and Good Guys: 101 Colorful Characters from Cleveland Sports History by Bob Dolgan, 2003

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Kardiac Kids: The Story of the 1980 Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, 2003

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Browns Town 1964: The Cleveland Browns and the 1964 Championship by Terry Pluto, 2003

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Cleveland Browns A-Z by Roger Gordon, 2002

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From Ghetto to God: The Incredible Journey of NFL Star, Reggie Rucker by Reggie Rucker and Nadine McIlwain, 2002

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Brown’s Town: 20 Famous Browns Talk Amongst Themselves by Alan Natali, 2001

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Rugged and Enduring: The Eagles, the Browns, and 5 Years of Football by David Cohen, 2001

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First and Last Seasons: A Father, A Son, and Sunday Afternoon Football by Dan McGraw, 2000

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Back Home: The Cleveland Browns by Tim Graham, editor, 1999

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On Being Brown: What It Means to Be a Cleveland Browns Fan by Scott Huler, 1999

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Cleveland Browns Facts and Trivia by Roger Gordon, 1999

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The Cleveland Browns: The Official Illustrated History by Ron Smith, 1999

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Cleveland’s Browns (Photo Highlights of the First Fifty Years of the Cleveland Browns) by Paul Tepley, 1999

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The Cleveland Browns: The Great Tradition by Bob Moon, 1999

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Total Browns: The Official Encyclopedia of the Cleveland Browns by Bob Carroll, Michael Gershman, David Neft, John Thorn, 1999

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The Best of the Cleveland Browns Memories by Russell Schneider, 1999

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The Browns: Cleveland’s Team by Richard Shmelter, 1999

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Legends by the Lake: The Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium by John Keim, 1999

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Tim Couch: A Passion for the Game by John McGill and Dave Baker, 1999

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When All the World Was Browns Town by Terry Pluto, 1997

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Glory for Sale: Inside the Browns’ Move to Baltimore & the New NFL by Jon Morgan, 1997

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Fumble: The Browns, Modell, & the Move by Michael G. Poplar with James A. Toman, 1997

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Cleveland Stadium: The Last Chapter by James A. Toman and Gregory G. Deegan, 1997

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City of Champions: The Story of the 1948 Cleveland Barons, Browns and Indians by Kevin O’Connell, 1997

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Browns Memories: The 338 Most Memorable Heroes, Heartaches & Highlights from 50 Seasons of Cleveland Browns Football by Tim Long, 1996

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The Toe: The Lou Groza Story by Lou Groza with Mark Hodermarsky, 1996

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Deadly Goals: The True Story of an All-American Football Hero Who Stalked and Murdered by Wilt Browning, 1996

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The Cleveland Browns: A 50-Year Tradition by Steve Byrne, Jim Campbell, Mark Craig, Bob Moon, 1995

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Cleveland Stadium: 60 Years of Memories by James A. Toman, 1994

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The Cleveland Sports Legacy Since 1945 by Mark Hodermarsky, 1991

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Behind the Lines by Don Strock and Harvey Frommer, 1991

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Out of Bounds by Jim Brown and Steve Delsohn, 1989

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Pressure by Sam Rutigliano, 1988

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I Went Both Ways by Don Paul, 1988

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Cleveland Browns Trivia by John F. Grabowski, 1987

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Football’s Gentle Giant: The Blanton Collier Story by Kay Collier Slone, 1985

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Day By Day in Cleveland Browns History by Morris Eckhouse, 1984

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Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, the Story of a Heisman Trophy Winner by Robert C. Gallagher, 1983

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Sam, Sipe, & Company : The Story of the Cleveland Browns by William V Levy, 1981

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PB: The Paul Brown Story by Paul Brown and Jack Clary, 1979

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The Cleveland Browns: Power and Glory by Chuck Heaton, 1974

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Cleveland Browns: Great Teams, Great Years by Jack Clary, 1973

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They Call It a Game: Shoulders the NFL Stands On by Bernie Parrish, 1971 (reissued in 2000)

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My Greatest Challenge by Bill Glass, 1968

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Get in the Game! by Bill Glass, 1965

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Return to Glory: The Story of the Cleveland Browns by Bill Levy, 1965

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Off My Chest by Jimmy Brown with Myron Cope, 1964

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Confessions of a Gypsy Quarterback by George Ratterman and Robert Deindorfer, 1962

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Football Scouting by Robert C. "Sarge" MacKenzie, 1955

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T Quarterback by Otto Graham, 1953

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Greetings blog visitors! With the launch of The Muni Lot, this blog has now migrated to its third home. All posts and comments have been copied over to this much improved platform. Please reset your bookmarks and RSS feeds, because all new posts will be found there. Thanks!

Reuben Droughns’ new contract looks like a clear winner for all involved, but if Tony Grossi’s source is to be believed, it really looks like quite a coup for Phil Savage and the Browns.

Here’s why: Droughns was scheduled to earn $1.15 in 2006. Per Grossi:

Droughns, who had one year left on the contract the Browns inherited from the Denver Broncos, received an undisclosed signing bonus and his 2006 base salary was rewritten.

Total value of the contract over four years is $13.2 million, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. Droughns will average $4 million a year in the last three years beginning in 2007.

So $13.2 million minus the $12 million for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 leaves $1.2 million. That, apparently, is the total of his new signing bonus plus the revised (i.e. lowered) ’06 salary. For a mere $50 grand up-front outlay, the Browns have locked up their leading rusher through decade’s end while actually LOWERING the salary cap hit that Droughns represents this year.

How? Whatever portion of the $1.2 million got shifted from salary to signing bonus can be spread over four years for salary cap purposes. It’s not a huge difference, but, hey, it is most probably a tidy six-figure addition to the pot that Savage is eager to use to lure a few big names to Browns Town for the last year of the salary cap structure as we now know it. Pretty cool.

Those last three years, of course, are not guaranteed. Droughns will need to continue his high performance level for the Browns to keep paying him like a quality starting tailback, rather than the fullback-type salaries he had been earning. If the 28-year-old breaks down anywhere along the line, the Browns are not required to keep him, nor will they suffer any significant cap hit upon his release.

Meanwhile, Droughns has every opportunity to set himself up for a lifetime of financial security. And as he does, Browns fans will continue to enjoy the roughest, toughest running they’ve seen in these parts in decades.

UPDATE: Pro Football Talk is rightfully regarded with skepticism, but the very specificity of the numbers leads me to think they have some inside info. As reported on March 5:

The three-year, $12 million extension signed by Browns running back Reuben Droughns breaks down as follows.

Droughns gets $2.5 million to sign, a $1.25 million roster bonus in 2006, and a $1.75 million roster bonus in 2007.

He also has per-game roster bonuses in 2007 through 2009, which equate to $250,000 per season.

Salaries are $1.2 million in 2006, $1.25 million in 2007, $1.75 million in 2008, and $2.75 million in 2009.

In addition to the $13.2 million he’ll be paid over four years, Droughns also will be eligible for incentives based on yards rushing. In each year, he gets $250,000 if he runs for 1,300 to 1,399 yards. If he finishes with 1,400 to 1,499, the number increases to $500,000. And if he finishes with 1,500 or more yards, the number moves to $750,000.

FYI -- The NFL Network will feature Jim Brown next Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m.: "Jim Brown: Player of the Millennium - commemorates the nine-year, Hall-of-Fame career of a player who had dominated the game like no other and then retired at the peak of his abilities."

Lots of mock drafts and wish lists for the Browns floating around the Internets these days, but none quite like this.

If the off-season is already getting to you, click here to take your pick of highlights from all the Browns games since 2003. These .ram files require the RealOne Player or the like. These are straighforward NFL Films recaps, so don’t expect them to dwell on anything controversial or injurious. They download quickly and clock in at about two minutes each. That means you can watch every Browns victory from the past three seasons in about half an hour.


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posted by Jim Giles at 21:51
Ace thanks for visitng the site and letting people know about the video archive section, Keep up the good work!

Jim ...

1985: Browns overhaul their quarterback situation, trading for a veteran to start. This veteran (let’s call him Mr. D) would also mentor a promising and popular rookie, who grew up in the area as a Browns fan.

The veteran’s jersey number has an 8. The rookie’s has a 9.

The veteran gets hurt midway through the season, so the rookie takes the reins. He has a degree of success in a conservative offense (as a new running back wearing 34 tops 1000 yards), though he falls shy of a winning record.

2005: Same thing, to the letter.

1986: The veteran has more injury problems but does stick with the Browns for three more seasons before eventually going into broadcasting. He is credited with helping develop a star quarterback who led the team to perennial playoff appearances.

2006: Well, it’s only a few days old, but we already know that the veteran will need surgery, but wants to continue playing, and that he has started reporting for NFL Network.

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posted by chris 8 Jan 2006 at 10:37
I’m hoping that they find a replacement to upgrade the 2006 "veteran". After watching this guy play, I’m not so sure that the 1986 veteran would not have done a better job.





posted by bob 6 Jan 2006 at 17:29
please tell me there is no # 7 somewhere that we will meet in 3 afc championships too! Oh no! One player comes to mind! BIG BEN!!!
I hope history doesn’t totally repeat itself.





posted by Jonathan 6 Jan 2006 at 15:42
its uncanny.... i mean its just never-wracking how you’re able to come up with these tidbits of hope. Then again, as Browns fans, thats really all we have sometimes...

Amazingly, the Browns have won their regular season finale in each of the last four years. Given the team’s records going into those final weeks, what was the chance of winning all four?

Less than 1 percent. 0.948% to be exact.

Imagine if they could win four games in a row! It’s been since October of 2003 that the Browns have managed as many as two straight wins in the same season. Since their return to the NFL, only once, early in 2001, have they won three in a row.

Browns fans may remember the name Bennie Thompson. He was a fantastic special teams demon whose long pro career included two years (1994-5) in Cleveland.

He went with the team to Baltimore and stayed on as an assistant special teams coach when his playing days ended. After six years, he’s been fired.

I know nothing of Thompson’s coaching abilities. I just remember him as a hell-raising factor chasing down kick and punt returners. The Browns could use some improvement in several areas of special teams. While the placekicker and the returners are fine, the coverage units and the penalty-plagued blockers could stand to get better.

The Browns’ current coaching staff lists eight offensive coaches, six defensive coaches, and three other coaches (including Romeo), but just one man focused on special teams: coordinator Jerry Rosburg.

There’s no salary cap on the coaching budget. I think hiring someone like Thompson as an assistant would be a good addition.

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note: additional comments disabled due to spam.

posted by eric dattilo 5 Jan 2006 at 16:48
can we look into jd brookhart as offensive coordinator, west coast oriented, charlie frye knows him well





posted by SoJerseyDawg 5 Jan 2006 at 14:31
The obvious first question is: why was he fired? If it was, e.g., a personality conflict, and the consensus is that he was effective, the Browns should interview him. You had to like Bennie as a player, but that’s no guarantee that he’ll be an effective coach. In principle, I’d love to see him back. But we need more specifics.

Slipping between the cracks of media coverage is the case of Andrew "Keg" Hoffman, the nose tackle selected with the sixth-round pick the Browns got in trade for QB Luke McCown.

Hoffman was among the final cuts after training camp but was signed to the practice squad, where he spent the entire season.

Yesterday, the Browns announced that seven of the eight members of the practice squad have been signed as "reserve/future free agents."

They now appear on the official site’s team roster, along with players under contract who were on the injury lists.

But Hoffman’s name is absent and his bio has been removed from the site.

The Plain Dealer’s Tony Grossi reported today that Hoffman is already under contract. If so, why is he not on the roster? I would think that the four-year deal Hoffman signed last summer would have ended when he was cut in September.

It would help if the team were more forthright with facts of this nature, but that’s not been my experience. So I am left to surmise that, despite glaring needs at this position, they didn’t think Hoffman was worth keeping, and they don’t want to draw any attention to the fact they got essentially nothing of value in exchange for McCown, a fourth-round pick the year before.

UPDATE: The Browns announced Firday that Hoffman was among those signed. He was not included on the press release issued earlier in the week.