The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The team is a member of the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). Its home stadium is Cleveland Browns Stadium, where it has played since 1999.
The team was founded in the 1940s as a charter franchise in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Paul Brown, the team's namesake and a pioneering figure in professional football, was its first coach. Under his watch, the Browns won the AAFC championship in all four years of its existence and continued to succeed after moving to the NFL in 1950. Cleveland won the championship in its first NFL season, followed by two more in 1954 and 1955. By then, the team had appeared in 10 straight championship games and won seven. The Browns were NFL champions again in 1964, but have since been only moderately successful, reaching the league's single-elimination playoffs 15 times and appearing in the AFC championship game three times.
Brian Hoyer (born October 13, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Michigan State.
Hoyer attended Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the Wildcats, the same high school that Brian Dowling, another New England Patriots quarterback, attended. In addition to playing football, Hoyer was a Wildcat baseball pitcher, infielder, and outfielder. In 2002, he compiled an 8-1 record with a 1.99 ERA as a sophomore. He was the winning pitcher in the 2002 Ohio Division I State Championship game allowing 2 earned runs in 6 innings pitched.
Hoyer compiled a 16-7 record (.696) as a two-year starter for Coach Chuck Kyle. In 2002, he completed 131 of 263 passes (.498) for 2,130 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In 2003, he completed 258-of-412 passes for 5,570 yards, 45 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while leading his team to a 11-1 record. He was named USA Today Prep Player of the Week for his performance against Shaker Heights High School. Hoyer was an Associated Press Division I all-state selection as a senior. Hoyer participated in the 2004 Ohio All-Star Classic and the July 24 Ohio-Pennsylvania Big 33 All-Star Game.
Josh Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2012 Supplemental Draft. He played college football for Baylor University.
During the college recruitment period Gordon was targeted by Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas Tech. According to Rivals.com Gordon was ranked as a 3 star wide receiver while Scout.com rated him as a 2-star at the position.
Gordon accepted an athletic scholarship to play football for Baylor University. However on October 2010, during his sophomore year he and teammate Willie Jefferson were found asleep at a local Taco Bell. Police found marijuana in Jefferson’s car. Jefferson, who was driving, was kicked off the team due to it being his second violation, but Gordon was not suspended.
On July 2011, Gordon was suspended indefinitely by head coach Art Briles, for later failing a drug test and testing positive for marijuana.
Brandon Kyle Weeden (born October 14, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted with the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
He was the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 2010 to 2011. In that time, Weeden, along with Cowboys receiver Justin Blackmon, broke several school passing/receiving records at Oklahoma State.
Weeden was the starting quarterback at Edmond Santa Fe High School, where he led the team to a victory in the state semifinals in the school's first-ever playoff appearance, and was eventually named team MVP and offensive player of the year. He finished second in Oklahoma in passing yards with 2,863 and accounted for 25 touchdowns. He was also an all-state baseball player and basketball player. He graduated from Santa Fe in 2002.
A pitcher, Weeden was drafted in the second round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Yankees as their first selection in the draft. After the 2003 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers with Jeff Weaver and Yhency Brazoban for Kevin Brown. Following the 2005 season, he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Weeden played his last season of professional baseball in 2006 with the Class-A High Desert Mavericks of the California League. Injuries and a high ERA led to Weeden quitting baseball.