Browns champion offensive lineman Dick Schafrath dies at 84

Former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Dick Schafrath died at 84 on Sunday. Schafrath was a member of the Browns 1964 NFL Championship team, playing all 13 years of his career with Cleveland. The seven-time Pro Bowl lineman played for Ohio State in college, winning a national championship in 1957.

Browns lineman Dick Schafrath

Drafted by the Browns in 1959 in the second round, Schafrath became a key piece of a team filled with future NFL legends. Schafrath won the NFL Championship in 1964 with the Browns, in addition to having won a national championship in college.

Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk detailed the accolades Schafrath received over his long career. He was a four-time All-Pro, earned six Pro Bowl nominations and helped block for three Hall of Fame running backs — Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly. Schafrath’s teammates nicknamed him “The Mule.”

“The Cleveland Browns were saddened to learn of the passing of Dick Schafrath,” the Browns said in a statement. “He was a Cleveland Brown and Ohioan to his core. Schafrath’s unmatched work ethic helped establish what it means to be a Cleveland Brown. He was one of the most decorated offensive linemen in team history, earning numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. He also helped the Browns capture the 1964 NFL Championship and opened holes for three Hall of Fame runners. We send our deepest condolences to his family.”

Browns legend Dick Schafrath

Entering the NFL, Schafrath was undersized by offensive lineman standards. When drafted by the Browns, he only weighed in at 220 pounds. His drive to play for the team led Schafrath to enter a regimen to gain weight and muscle that was controversial and unusual for the time.

His plan involved weight lifting and weight training in the gym, as well as entering competitive eating competitions to gain mass. Within a year, he had reached 270 pounds and was strong enough to play at the NFL level.

Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland recounted a story about how badly Schafrath wanted to play for the Browns.

“Dick Schafrath was such a character. He told me the story once of his first weigh-in. He hid 25 pounds of weights strapped to his waist to reach the 250 pound limit set for him by [head coach] Paul Brown. Brown was so impressed he wanted to play football that badly, he put him at left tackle.”

His plan worked and Schafrath would go on to be one of the most decorated players in Cleveland’s history. After 13 years with the Browns, Schafrath was elected into the Browns Legends Club in 2003.

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