Robert Smith, who comes to town Sunday with the Minnesota Vikings, had the longest touchdown run on the first week of the NFL season–78 yards.
Raymont Harris of the Bears had the second-longest touchdown run–68 yards.
Eddie George of the Tennessee Oilers had the most yards rushing–216. Smith was second with 169 and Harris, seventh with 122.
It is only coincidence, of course, that all three are from Ohio State, where Woody Hayes is somewhere among the clouds of dust, smiling.
But as Smith brings Vikings teammates Korey Stringer and Cris Carter–more Buckeyes –with him this week to play against Harris and ex-Ohio Stater Alonzo Spellman, it poses an idea for the NFL so great it has absolutely no chance of happening.
Cleveland has been promised a new Browns’ team for 1999, right? Most likely, it will be an expansion team.
How to stock an expansion team will be a very important decision because the free-agent market turned Carolina and Jacksonville into Super Bowl contenders so fast that every city wants an expansion team just like them.
Ohio is the cradle of pro football, so it is doubly important to make the Browns a more viable team than the one Art Modell took to Baltimore. While this probably could be accomplished by stocking it with the Massillon and Canton McKinley JVs, here is a better idea: Give the new Browns all the Ohio State players currently active in the NFL.
“You could,” said Rick Spielman, the Bears’ director of pro personnel. “With all the No. 1s who have come out of there recently, it’s just unbelievable.”
Spielman got his master’s degree from Ohio State, but that is coincidence too. His brother, Chris, middle linebacker for Buffalo, is one of the oldest Buckeyes still active, a perfect building block for the new Browns.
“I’d sit him on the bench, tell him he has to come out in nickel and dime,” said his little brother, who accepted a “promotion” to Cleveland’s new general manager.
Harris would find it harder to break into that backfield with George and Smith than he does in the Bears backfield.
At wide receiver, the line is even longer. Carter would be joined by New England’s Terry Glenn, Seattle’s Joey Galloway, the Jets’ Jeff Graham and Tennessee’s Chris Sanders. The tight end is the Raiders’ Rickey Dudley.
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There is a shortage in the middle of the offensive line, but tackles Stringer (350) and No. 1 draft choice Orlando Pace (335) of St. Louis are so wide the Browns could become the first 3-5 offense–three blockers and five receivers. Washington’s Jeff Uhlenhake is the center. Jets guard William Roberts would be the team’s old man.
Arizona’s Kent Graham is the quarterback, backed up by veteran Mike Tomczak of Pittsburgh and Bobby Hoying of Philadelphia.
Although the team would rarely need to punt, New England’s Tom Tupa would be available.
Spellman and Cincinnati’s Dan Wilkinson anchor the defensive line with Pittsburgh’s Mike Vrabel and the Jets’ Matt Finkes. Spielman, the Jets’ Pepper Johnson and Cincinnati’s Steve Tovar all are middle linebackers but Johnson has Dawg Pound experience.
Seattle’s No. 1 pick Shawn Springs, Buffalo’s Marlon Kerner, Atlanta’s William White and New Orleans’ Rob Kelly form the secondary.
Ex-Bear Shaun Gayle, now retired, would be an excellent head coach. Ex-Bear Doug Plank would be defensive coordinator.
The Cleveland Browns would win the Super Bowl in their first year, repeating history. When the Browns first joined the NFL in 1950 from the old All-America Conference–well-stocked by ex-Ohio State coach Paul Brown with Buckeyes Dante Lavelli, Lou Groza, Tony Adamle, Lin Houston, Bill Willis and Tommy James–they won the NFL title in their first year.
So there is precedent for this. And since both Smith and Harris grew up near Cleveland, they would feel more at home than they will in Soldier Field.