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2024 NFL Honors | Cleveland Browns NFL award winners: From Jim Brown to Kevin Stefanski

chris easterling, akron beacon journal
·5 min read

BEREA — Four Browns players or coaches will be among the finalists for major NFL awards Thursday night in Las Vegas during the "NFL Honors" program at 9 p.m.

Defensive end Myles Garrett is up for the Defensive Player of the Year, while quarterback Joe Flacco is a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is up for his second Coach of the Year award, while defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be one of finalists for Assistant Coach of the Year. They are looking to join an exclusive list of other Browns who have garnered similar league-wide honors.

Here's a look the previous Browns to win a major NFL award — Most Valuable Player, Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive/Defensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year and Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

Jim Brown in a July 20, 1964 photo.
Jim Brown in a July 20, 1964 photo.

1957: Jim Brown, Offensive Rookie of the Year

Brown was taken sixth overall in the 1957 NFL Draft out of Syracuse University, and quickly ascended to the top of the league. He led the NFL in rushing yards with 942, rushing touchdowns with nine, rushing yards per game at 78.5 and combined rushing and receiving touchdowns with 10. Brown ran away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award with 33 votes to one vote apiece between the Los Angeles Rams' Jon Arnett, the Chicago Bears' Willie Gallimore and the Detroit Lions' Steve Junker.

1957: Jim Brown, Most Valuable Player

Browns running back Jim Brown sails over the goal line for a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oct. 2, 1960, in Cleveland.
Browns running back Jim Brown sails over the goal line for a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oct. 2, 1960, in Cleveland.

The first year the league ever handed out the MVP award, which was then known as the Most Outstanding Player, it made history. Brown edged out San Francisco 49ers quarterback Y.A. Tittle by four votes to become the only rookie to ever win the award. Not a surprise, then, that it wasn't Brown's last MVP, either.

1958: Jim Brown, Most Valuable Player

Browns running back Jim Brown on the sidelines during the 1964 season.
Browns running back Jim Brown on the sidelines during the 1964 season.

Brown's second year was even more dominant. He led the league with 257 carries for 1,527 yards and 17 touchdowns, which gave him an average of 127.3 rushing yards a game. He also had a league-best 1,665 scrimmage yards and 18 combined rushing and receiving TDs. Brown beat out Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas by seven votes to become the back-to-back MVP winner. No player would accomplish that feat again until the 49ers' Joe Montana did so in 1989-90.

1965: Jim Brown, Most Valuable Player

Jim Brown carries the ball against the New York Giants, Nov. 14, 1965, in Cleveland. The No. 6 overall pick in 1957. Brown rushed for 12,312 yards in nine seasons for the Browns, leading the NFL in eight seasons. The three-time MVP walked away from his career at its peak to pursue acting.
Jim Brown carries the ball against the New York Giants, Nov. 14, 1965, in Cleveland. The No. 6 overall pick in 1957. Brown rushed for 12,312 yards in nine seasons for the Browns, leading the NFL in eight seasons. The three-time MVP walked away from his career at its peak to pursue acting.

Brown came into the league as the MVP and he went out as the MVP. The final year of his legendary career saw him lead the NFL in rushing attempts (289), rushing yards (1,544), rushing TDs (17), longest rush (67), rushing yards per game (110.3), touches (323), scrimmage yards (1,872) and combined rushing and receiving TDs (21). Brown, just for good measure, also threw a 39-yard TD pass. Brown once again beat out Unitas for the award, although it wasn't close at all with a 34-3 margin.

1976: Forrest Gregg, Coach of the Year

Browns coach Forrest Gregg, left, talks with quarterback Brian Sipe during a 1976 game.
Browns coach Forrest Gregg, left, talks with quarterback Brian Sipe during a 1976 game.

The Browns were absolutely terrible in Forrest Gregg's first season as head coach in 1975, going 3-11. That changed in his second season, when they went 9-5. The record was good enough for them to only finish third in the AFC Central behind a pair of 10-4 teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. With only one wild card team per conference, the 11-3 New England Patriots ended up joining the three AFC division winners. Gregg still beat the Patriots' Chuck Fairbanks by a four-point margin to win Coach of the Year.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Sipe is shown in a 1981 photo.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Sipe is shown in a 1981 photo.

1980: Brian Sipe, Most Valuable Player

The man who quarterbacked the "Kardiac Kids" into Cleveland lore also became the only Browns player not named Jim Brown to win the NFL's MVP award. Sipe completed 337 of 554 passes for 4,132 yards with 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The Browns, meanwhile, finished 11-5 in the regular season, won the AFC Central title and reached the playoffs. Sipe, who finished third in the MVP voting the previous season, beat out Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell by a 47-22 margin to win the award. Campbell and Sipe reversed positions for the Offensive Player of the Year award, which Campbell won by a 43-26 margin.

1982: Chip Banks, Defensive Rookie of the Year

Browns linebacker Chip Banks in action against the Detroit Lions, Sept. 28, 1986, at Cleveland Stadium.
Browns linebacker Chip Banks in action against the Detroit Lions, Sept. 28, 1986, at Cleveland Stadium.

The only Browns player to ever win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, Banks did so in a very unusual season. Due to a players' strike, the season was limited to just nine regular-season games. Still Banks, who was the No. 3 overall pick out of the University of Southern California in that year's draft, made the most of the games. He finished with 5.5 sacks and an interception, as well as a healthy 30-17 margin over second-place Vernon Dean of Washington for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Banks' teammate, Tom Cousineau, was seventh in the voting with five.

2020: Kevin Stefanski, Coach of the Year

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on the field before a game, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Cleveland.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on the field before a game, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Cleveland.

Stefanski's first season as the Browns' head coach coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite that, he led the Browns to an 11-5 regular season, earning a wild card berth on the final day of the season with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stefanski missed the following week's wild-card win at the Steelers after a COVID diagnosis, but returned for the divisional round loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. Stefanski ran away with the voting, garnering 25 votes to seven for the runner-up, the Buffalo Bills' Sean McDermott.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jim Brown, Kevin Stefanski highlight Browns' past NFL award winners