gold star for USAHOF

Warning: Attempt to read property "params" on null in /home/notinhal/public_html/plugins/k2/k2canonical/k2canonical.php on line 382

Walt Michaels was one of the best players that small Washington & Lee College ever produced, and the Browns took him in the Seventh Round in 1951.  Cleveland didn't use him that year, not because he wasn't good enough, but because they traded him to Green Bay before the season started.  After one year in Green Bay, Paul Brown saw something special in Michaels and traded three players to get him back.  It was a steal.

Michaels emerged as a starting Linebacker for the Browns and became one of their leaders on the defensive side of the ball.  He helped Cleveland win back-to-back NFL Championships (1954 & 1955) while stringing off five straight Pro Bowls (1955-59).  Michaels, who acted as the defensive signal-caller, was an expert tackler, and it is believed that if Tackles were recorded in the 1950s, he would be amongst the top in that statistic.  

He retired after the 1961 season, though he would play one more year in the AFL a year later with the New York Jets.  The Browns honored Michaels as one of their Legends in 2006.