Former Cleveland Browns we lost in 2025

**OT Joe “Jet” Carollo**

**Age:** 85 **Passing date:** December **Career:**Los Angeles Rams 1962-1968, Philadelphia Eagles 1969-1970, Rams 1971, Browns 1972-1973, Southern California Sun 1974-1975 Carollo was a second-round draft pick after a stellar career out of Notre Dame. He was also taken in Round 18 in the AFL draft. From 1965 to 1967, he had a second gig as a professional wrestler and competed in three states as well as in Japan, where he once faced “Mr. Moto” in a match. His playing weight was considered one of the largest in the game at the time, at just 265 pounds. Carollo had a reputation for being a mean and nasty player. This was during the time of the annual Chicago Charities College All-Stars in an exhibition game against the defending NFL Champions. Carollo was selected to play in just the second game ever of this series. He came to Cleveland from the Rams and was placed on the taxi squad for two games, then played in all 12 games in 1973. Carollo got the nickname “Jet” during his time with the Rams because he once missed the flight home from an away game and then had to pay his own way home.

**WR Billy Howton**

**Age:** 95 **Passing date:** August **Career:**Green Bay Packers 1952-1958, Browns 1959, Dallas Cowboys 1960-1963 Howton, nicknamed “Red Fox” due to his bright red hair, played 12 years in the NFL after being named an All-American in 1951. He was the first receiver to catch 500 balls in pro football history. He was named to the Hall of Very Good in 2024 and the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame. Howton was taken in Round 2 of the 1952 NFL draft and set a rookie touchdowns record of 13. He went on to become one of the Packers’ most successful receivers. In 1958, Packers head coach Vince Lombardi traded Howton to the Browns for a defensive end and a running back. When the Cowboys held their expansion draft before 1960, they selected Howton away from Cleveland. In 1963, Howton became the NFL’s All-Time leading receiver in receptions and receiving yards.

**S Ernie Kellerman**

**Age:** 81 **Passing date:** February **Career:** Cowboys 1965, Browns 1965-1971, Cincinnati Bengals 1972, Buffalo Bills 1973 Kellerman played eight seasons in the NFL, six with Cleveland after being taken in the 12th  round of the 1965 NFL draft by Dallas. He played both quarterback and defensive back in high school and also at Miami of Ohio. He was named First Team All-MAC three straight years. The Cowboys cut him after his first training camp, and he was picked up by the Browns, who stashed him on their taxi squad. The following season, he made the main roster and had 17 interceptions in six seasons. He had six in 1968 and was named to the Pro Bowl.

**LB Rudy Kuechenberg**

**Age:** 82 **Passing date:** December **Career:**Cowboys 1965, Philadelphia Bulldogs 1965, Cowboys 1966, Chicago Bears 1967-1969, Browns 1970, Packers 1970, Atlanta Falcons 1971, Chicago Fire 1974 Kuechenberg won a state championship in high school. He played both ways while attending Indiana, then was invited to the North-South Shrine Game. He was a boxer while at Indiana and became a Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champ. He went undrafted in 1965 and signed with the Cowboys. Kuechenberg was a last-day cut and then played in the Continental Football League with Philly and had five interceptions that season. He re-signed with Dallas and again was released. In 1966, he signed with the Bears, where he played in every game for three seasons. Chicago released him, and he was inked to a deal with Cleveland, where he only played in three games. In 1974, Kuechenberg played in the maiden season of the World Football League and earned All-WFL honors.

**OG/OT Bob Lingenfelter**

**Age:** 70 **Passing date:** January **Career:** Browns 1977, Minnesota Vikings 1978 Lingenfelter was considered a huge man, standing 6’-7” and weighing 277 pounds. In high school, he set school records for the shot put and the discus, was a state runner-up in wrestling, and was named All-State in football. He then stayed in-state and went to Nebraska, where he was named First Team All-Big 8. The Browns selected him in the eighth round of the 1976 NFL draft. He played in all 14 games with just two starts. They released him, and he signed with the Vikings for one season, with five games and zero starts. Lingenfelter then left football and became a farmer in Nebraska. In 2012, he ran for the House of Representatives but lost to the incumbent. He then became a stock market analyst on a local news talk radio station. Lingenfelter was inducted into the Plainview High School Hall of Fame (2021) and the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame (2006).

**DE Jim Marshall**

**Age:** 87 **Passing date:** April **Career:** Browns 1960, Vikings 1961-1979 Taken in the fourth round of the 1960 NFL draft, Marshall played sparingly in his rookie year. In that season, he contracted encephalitis and was seriously ill. They placed him in a coma in order to save his life. Browns’ head coach Paul Brown drafted Marshall. When the expansion Vikings came into the league the following year, the Browns traded five players for two draft picks. Marshall was part of that deal. Marshall was raised in Columbus, Ohio, and had left Ohio State a year early and signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in order to gain some funding. He then joined Cleveland a year later, but only started four games. Former Roughriders head coach Bud Grant took over the expansion Vikings and wanted Marshall. He played 20 years and became one of the greatest Vikings players ever. He was voted team captain 14 times. His #70 jersey was retired. He was included in the Vikings 25th Anniversary Team, plus the Vikings 40th Anniversary Team. Marshall’s name is listed in the Vikings Ring of Honor.

**S John Pitts**

**Age:** 80 **Passing date:** June **Career:**Bills 1967-1973, Denver Broncos 1973-1974, Browns 1975, Broncos 1975 Pitts played nine years in the NFL. He was taken with the 22nd overall pick in the first round by the Bills in the 1967 NFL draft. This was the first common draft with the NFL and AFL. The talented safety played for almost seven years with Buffalo before being sent to Denver. In 1975, he played one season with the Browns, where he played in six games with two starts. He was inducted into the Santa Ana College Hall of Fame (2006).

**DE Derreck Robinson**

**Age:** 43 **Passing date:** August **Career:** San Diego Chargers 2005-2006, Miami Dolphins 2007, Cowboys 2009, Browns 2009-2010 Robinson grew up in Minnesota and went to Iowa. He was part of two Iowa rosters that shared Big-10 titles. He went undrafted in the 2005 NFL draft and signed a rookie free agent deal with the Chargers. He was out of football in 2008 and then signed with the Browns, where he played in 17 games. He had 24 tackles in 2010. His death was reported as caused by a pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep vein thrombosis. After football, he settled in the San Diego area, where he passed away.

**DT John Thornton**

**Age:** 55 **Passing date:** April **Career:**New Orleans Saints 1991, Browns 1991, Chargers 1993, Vikings 1993, Falcons 1994, Toronto Argonauts 1995 Thornton was a three-year starter with the University of Cincinnati but was undrafted in the 1991 NFL draft. He signed with the New Orleans Saints, but was a last-day cut. Two days later, he signed with the Browns, who placed him on their practice squad. He was promoted to the main roster in late November and played five games. The following training camp, he broke his leg and then developed a blood clot, which almost took his life. He missed all of 1992. During the 1993 training camp, he was released in early August. He then attempted to catch on with three other NFL clubs as well as Toronto of the CFL.

**OG Larry Williams**

**Age:** 62 **Passing date:** October

**1964 NFL Champions Cleveland Browns** lost 4 this year

The 1964 Browns were the second year that Blanton Collier was the head coach after Paul Brown was let go after the 1962 season and a 7-6-1 finish. Cleveland had missed the playoffs the past four years. The 1963 squad under Collier went 10-4-0 and finished one game out of first place in the Eastern Division. Back then, only the first-place clubs played in the championship game. The 1964 Browns won the division with a 10-3-1 record, a half-game above the 9-3-2 St. Louis Cardinals. Cleveland had lost and tied the Cardinals during the season. The Browns’ opponent in the NFL Championship Game was the mighty Baltimore Colts, who finished 12-2-0 and had led the league in scoring with 428 points. The game was scheduled to be played at the home stadium of the Eastern Division champs, so the Browns had at least an instant advantage with a stadium that had seating for 78,000. However, they were 17-point underdogs as the Colts had won the Western Division by four-and-a-half games. The two clubs did not play each other in the regular season. The Colts had eight players named to the Pro Bowl that year and five named First Team All-Pro. The Baltimore offense had five players on offense and one on defense who would end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and was coached by HOF coach Don Shula. The score at halftime was 0-0 as Cleveland’s defense came to play and stymied the Colts powerful offensive machine. Gary Collins scored three second-half touchdowns as the Browns shocked Baltimore 27-0. The victory is the last football championship for the City of Cleveland. None of the coaches are still with us. Going into this past year, there were 19 players from that championship team still alive. Here are the four who passed away during the past 12 months.

**S Bobby Franklin**

**Age:** 88 **Passing date:** May **Career:** Browns 1960-1966 Franklin was a four-sport star in high school and had his choice going to the college level, and chose Ole Miss. He was taken by the Browns in Round 11 of the 1960 NFL draft and selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFL draft. Franklin joined his former college teammate Gene Hickerson. The pair became lifelong friends. As a rookie, Franklin had eight interceptions. Franklin would later become a return specialist, backup punter, and the holder for field goals and PATs for Lou Groza. He was the starting safety for the 1964 NFL Champs team. After football, Franklin joined the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff under Tom Landry as the DB coach. He was on the staff when the Cowboys won two Super Bowls. He also coached with two other NFL teams before being named the head coach at Northwest Mississippi College, a post he held for 24 years, and won two National Championships. The football field is named after Franklin. In the 1964 NFL Championship Game, Franklin was the starting free safety.

**WR Clifton McNeil**

**Age:** 86 **Passing date:** December **Career:** Browns 1964-1967, San Francisco 49ers 1968-1969, New York Football Giants 1970-1971, Washington Redskins 1971-1972, Houston Oilers 1973 McNeil came from Grambling and was taken in Round 11 in 1962 by Cleveland. He played 10 years in the NFL. He played four seasons with the Browns, but never got a footing as a starting receiver, with a high of 94 yards and zero starts during this time period. Cleveland then traded him to San Fran for draft picks. He had 994 receiving yards with seven TDs in his first season with the 49ers and led the league in receptions with 71. His production the following year was horrible, and they sent him packing. He landed with the Giants, where he caught 50 passes for 764 yards and scored four touchdowns. In the 1964 NFL Championship Game, McNeil was a backup receiver.

**DE Frank Parker**

**Age:** 85 **Passing date:** April **Career:** Browns 1962-1964 and 1966-1967, Pittsburgh Steelers 1968, Giants 1969 Parker was a large man in his day, weighing 270 pounds with a height of 6’-5”. He was drafted by the Browns in the sixth round of the 1961 NFL draft and in the 29th round by the Titans of New York in the AFL. He missed most of his rookie year with a knee injury, but played six seasons with Cleveland. Before the 1968 season, he was traded with another player to the Steelers for two players. After football, Parker opened Big Frank’s Sports Center, Convenience Store & Gas Station in Oklahoma. In the 1964 NFL Championship Game, Parker was a backup defensive end.

**OT Roger Shoals**

**Age:** 86 **Passing date:** June **Career:** Browns 1963-1964, Detroit Lions 1965-1970, Broncos 1971 Shoals grew up in Connecticut and went to Maryland. He was taken in the 16th round of the NFL draft by the Browns and also selected by the Dallas Texans in Round 34 of the AFL draft. He played nine seasons in the NFL. He was traded to the Lions and was a fixture on the Lions’ offensive line. After football, Shoals invested in a local Cadillac dealership in Fleetwood, PA, and also became vice president of sales for Gould Paper Corporation.