The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their list of semifinalists to make the 2024 Hall of Fame class, including four ex Cleveland Browns. The list of finalists will be announced on July 27th. Who are these former Browns you ask?
Carl Banks- Linebacker: Banks, who played twelve seasons in the NFL, is more known for his time with the New York Giants as a big part of Bill Belichick’s hardnosed defense, although he did play one season with the Washington football team and ended his career with our own Cleveland Browns.
Should he be in the 2024 class? I think he should, but it may be awhile since there are so many worthy players. His sack numbers (39.5 sacks over twelve seasons) aren’t the best by any means, however he had his hand in 860 tackles which is definitely a good number. A great guy, a great player, I hope he does get in, and get in soon!
Marty Schottenheimer- Head Coach: Coach Schottenheimer coached our Browns from 1984 to 1988, making the playoffs every year but ’84 (Pre-Bernie), with a record of 44-27. Before coming to Cleveland as a defensive coordinator in 1980, Marty was also a defensive coach for the Giants and Lions. After stepping down from the Browns after the 1988 season, he went on to be the head coach of the Chiefs from 1989 to 1998, the Washington team in 2001, and the Chargers from 2002-2006.
Should he be in the 2024 class posthumously? DEFINITELY! His 205-139-1 record as a head coach is for sure good enough to be a hall of famer and his 5-13 record in the playoffs is the only blemish even though maybe a big one, on a hall of fame career. In my opinion, the Browns were absolutely crazy to push him out after making the playoffs in ’88 by forcing him to hire an offensive coordinator.
Clay Matthews Jr- Linebacker: This is Matthews’ sixth time making the semifinal round in voting, even though his stats are equal to or better than some already in the hall of fame. One of the most durable players to ever play the game, Matthews played 278 games in his storied 19-year career, which is 17th most in league history. His 1,561 tackles are by far good enough, along with being named to the Pro Bowl four times and being named All Pro three times.
Should he be in the 2024 class? YES. The fact that he isn’t in already is a slap in the face. His 82.5 sacks and his longevity should have been good enough to not have to keep waiting, and I believe he will finally get in. To me, the top play I remember his for is the playoff game sealing interception of Jim Kelly at the one-yard line with three seconds left in the game to beat the Buffalo Bills 34-30 in January of 1990.
Art Modell: Modell, who bought the Browns in 1961 for 4 million dollars, owned the team from 1961 until 1995. On top of being the Browns owner, he served time as the President of the NFL and used his connections to help negotiate the NFL’s already lucrative TV contracts and was one of the main people behind the start of Monday Night Football, even agreeing to host the very first Monday night game in 1970.
Should he be in the 2024 class? Absolutely NOT. Him moving my team to Baltimore after the 1995 season to this day angers me and saddens me to think about. We fans packed Cleveland Stadium game in and game out, no matter what the team’s record was, and this was how Modell thanked us for our loyalty. To have our Browns, one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, moved to another city just felt like losing family, because especially back then that’s what the Browns were to most of Northeast Ohio. Does Art have hall of fame credentials? I would be lying if I said no. But none of that matters to me, and I know almost everyone else feels the same way.
Munch Bishop
July 13, 2023 at 11:50 am
Great column Jerry!