Bill Priatko can attest to why some consider Jim Brown, who died Friday at the age of 87, is considered by some the greatest running back in NFL history. Priatko played with the Cleveland Browns in 1959-60, when Brown was in the prime of his incomparable career, one in which he led the NFL in rushing in eight of nine seasons before retiring to pursue acting.
“An offensive play, we called it 38 toss, averaged 12 yards a carry,” Priatko recalled. “Teams knew the formation but they still couldn’t stop it. There have been a lot of great running backs, but I don’t know who can be considered a better runner than Jimmy.