| 1946 |
1950 |
1957 |
1964 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The beginning of a
beautiful relationship! Opening day, Sept. 6, 1946: 60,135 fans pack into Cleveland
Municipal Stadium to watch Paul Brown’s team kick-off its inaugural season in the
All-America Football Conference (that’s almost twice as many that witnessed the
previous season’s NFL championship match!). The 1946 jersey, synonymous with the Otto
Graham era, showcases a ‘drop shadow’ effect on the chest numbers – the
only jersey in Browns’ history to do so. |
Marks the Browns'
first season in the NFL - after winning an amazing four straight All-America Football
Conference titles. Their overall regular season record in the AAFC: 47-4-3! Two
interesting points about the team's helmet: the color switched from white to orange (and
has remained that color since). The helmet did not include a facemask and continued that
way in the early 1950's. |
A very special year
in Browns' history - as Jim Brown joins the squad, out of Syracuse. Note that numbers have
now been added to the jersey sleeves - directly above the striping. If you look closely,
you'll also notice a rare oddity: there are numbers on the helmet, directly above the ear
in a hand drawn appearance. Teams often place numbers on the back, but this is one of the
only times you'll ever see numbers, especially this large, on the side of the helmet! |
Lucky number 27 for
Cleveland! On December 27 - the Browns whip the Baltimore Colts 27-0 in the championship
game of the NFL. Frank Ryan throws three touchdown passes - all to Gary Collins to help
capture the title. Pictured are Cleveland's home and away jerseys to commemorate this
banner year. Note the position of the sleeve numbers; which have been moved away from the
striping of previous year's jerseys. |
|
|
|
|
| 1969 |
1972 |
1977 |
1980 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Three interesting points to note
about the '69 jersey: the striping pattern on the sleeves has been altered from past
years. The numbers have been shifted back down closer to the striping, and finally, the
NFL shield/crest commemorating the 50th anniversary is on the left shoulder. |
The Browns go an
impressive 10-4 during the regular season, only to lose in the divisional playoff game to
the eventual Super Bowl champions - the Miami Dolphins. Something for the trivia buffs -
the Browns are the only NFL team never to have had a logo on their helmets! |
Once again, the
numbers have moved away from the sleeve striping. Did you happen to notice the color
change in the pants - from white to orange? The Browns instituted this changeover in 1975
- and at least one of the two uniforms' pants (either home or away) was orange until 1984. |
This is the year of
the 'Kardiac Kids'. The Browns go 11-5 - finishing first in the AFC Central, often winning
in the dying minutes or seconds of a contest. In the AFC Divisional Game played in
Cleveland, the Raiders win a heartbreaker, 14-12, on a game-saving interception by the
Raiders' (in the end zone, no less!) with 41 seconds to play. |
|
|
|
|
| 1984 |
1994 |
1999 |
2000 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The Browns discard
the orange pants - changing back to the familiar 'whites' for both home and away uniforms.
They also add a narrow orange outline around the brown uniform numbers. |
During this season,
the NFL and its franchises were showcasing 'throwback' jerseys, or replicas of older
uniforms - to help commemorate the NFL's 75th anniversary. The 75th anniversary was also
commemorated by the diamond patch on the upper left part of the torso. This particular
jersey is not a throwback jersey - that was a white jersey, which featured sleeve stripes
similar to the 1964 jersey. If you look closely at this jersey, you'll note a smaller
patch - the NFL shield on the jersey's neckline. Most NFL uniforms added the NFL logo
patch to the neck and upper left thigh of the pants beginning in 1991. |
The Browns
relocated to Baltimore in 1996 to become the Ravens and the unprecedented and remarkable
response from Browns fans prompted the NFL to promise the City of Cleveland a new team for
the 1999 season. The patch on the '99 jersey (upper, left part of the torso) signals the
return of the Browns to Cleveland. Football was back in Cleveland! On a closing note, look
closely at the sleeve on the 2000 jersey - did you notice the elasticized band? Many NFL
teams have added this feature to certain player's jerseys not only to give the jersey a
more aerodynamic look and feel, but to prevent opponents from grabbing onto excess
material, and using it to their advantage! |
Look closely at the
sleeve on the 2000 jersey. Did you notice the elasticized band? Many NFL teams have added
this feature to certain player's jerseys not only to give the jersey a more aerodynamic
look and feel, but to prevent opponents from grabbing onto excess material, and using it
to their advantage! |
