Brown, who was born Sept. 7, 1908, at 7 W. Elm St. in Norwalk, was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967, according to a news release from Mark Hazelwood, media coordinator for the Paul Brown Birthplace Committee.

The fundraising efforts began in 2022, and the statue as well as a new Ohio Historical Marker commemorating his birth in Norwalk, were unveiled Oct. 21 at Suhr Park, 29 W. Main St. across from the Norwalk Public Library.

The event, hosted by the committee, included Brown’s family members in addition to a large number of citizens.

“The statue is just amazing,” said Norwalk Mayor Dave Light. “I’m just astounded at what a good likeness it is of Paul Brown.

“It’s remarkable, and the whole thing will be a great addition to uptown Norwalk.”

Fundraising by the committee kicked off in September 2022, with a campaign that included corporate sponsorships along with engraved paving bricks and granite blocks.

“I’m pleasantly surprised by how quickly it all happened,” Light said. “I really didn’t think it would go this fast, and a big thank-you to everyone who participated.

“It’s just great.”

Approximately 200 individual donations were collected toward the $100,000 goal to commission the statue and pay for other elements, including the granite wall that lists information about Brown’s career in football, the release noted.

“That, too, is a good-looking addition to the streetscape,” said Kathy Root, chair of the Paul Brown Birthplace Committee. “It provides context and information about Paul Brown that is perhaps not so widely known by everyone.”

Sponsors who donated $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000 have their business or name engraved on the front of the stadium wall.

Three of the 23 benefactors wished to remain anonymous for their combined total of $105,000.

Dozens of donors bought a brick paver or a granite square, the release noted.

“We’re so grateful to every single donor for their generosity,” Root said.

The life-size likeness of Brown stands nearly 7 feet tall.

The design was approved by Mike Brown, owner and general manager of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mike Brown is the only surviving son of Paul Eugene and Ida Belle Brown, who lived on West Elm Street.

The likeness of Brown is based on an artist’s rendering created by Norwalk business owners Kevin Hipp of Franklin Monument and Trevor Rood of Foghorn Designs, the release stated.

The granite wall behind the statue lists the coach’s notable accomplishments and innovations to the game of football.

The back side of the wall is etched to look like the façade of a football stadium.

“I think people will really enjoy having this here,” Light said. “I hope that visitors to Norwalk take advantage of the opportunity to see the statue, read about Paul Brown and his impact on pro football, and learn something.

“We want people to come here and see this.”

First coach of the namesake Cleveland NFL team, and a co-founder and first coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Brown began his Ohio coaching career at Massillon High School before moving on to Ohio State University.

Brown led the Buckeyes to the first of their eight national championships in 1942.

With the Cleveland Browns, Brown was the team’s general manager, head coach and part owner from 1946 until 1962.

During that time, the Browns won four All-America Football Conference championships and three National Football League championships, the release stated.

With the Bengals, he retired from coaching in 1975, but remained as president of that organization until his death in 1991.

The Bengals reached two Super Bowls during his time with the team.

Brown’s all-time coaching record in the NFL stands at 167-53-8 over 17 seasons, with eight league championships.

Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is replacing injured Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt in the Pro Bowl set for Feb. 4 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

This will be the first Pro Bowl appearance for JOK, a third-year linebacker from Notre Dame who led the Browns with 98 tackles. The 2023 season was his best by far. He credited his coaches and teammates for his success.

“I think it was a combination of a lot of things,” JOK said Jan. 14 as the players cleaned out their lockers in Berea. “First and foremost, you put it in a scheme that allows the player to get vertical. You have the players in front. I know the defensive line didn’t necessarily get any sacks or anything, but if you look, they did keep those double teams pretty well for us to get vertical. So I give credit to them.

“Coach (Jason) Tarver (linebackers coach) did a great job preparing us as linebackers to be able to do those things, specifically in those positions that I was in. So, it’s credit to the coaches, my teammates, but also a lot of the stuff that they keyed in on and some of the patience things that you can see from the position that I was in.”

Teller is headed to his third Pro Bowl. He was an alternate on the Pro Bowl team announced last month. Bitonio was voted to the Pro Bowl for a sixth straight time in 2023. He battled a knee injury, back injury, oblique injury and finger injury during the season. His ankle was sprained in the second quarter against the Texans when another player rolled on the back of his leg. He missed a few plays and then was back at left guard. The next day he wore a walking boot in the locker room.

“He’s unbelievable,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said Jan. 14 in his wrap-up news conference. “He’s unbelievable. He didn’t have to go back in that game with a high ankle sprain, and most people couldn’t and most people wouldn’t. And he was not going to let his guys down. He battled to the end.

“He’ll rest up and heal up, but he’s a quintessential teammate. That’s what we’re talking about. When you talk about the Cleveland Browns, you talk about guys that will do anything and everything they can for their teammate.”

Wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive end Myles Garrett, tight end David Njoku and cornerback Denzel Ward from the Browns also made the Pro Bowl this season.

The Browns began trying to fill an unexpected vacancy on Thursday by interviewing Seattle offensive line coach Andy Dickerson to be their offensive coordinator.

Dickerson previously worked in Cleveland on coach Eric Mangini’s staff in 2009-10.

On Wednesday, coordinator Alex Van Pelt parted ways with the Browns after four seasons working under coach Kevin Stefanski. Van Pelt’s departure was surprising since he appeared to enjoy his time in Cleveland and was instrumental in helping the Browns make the playoffs while coping with numerous injuries on offense.

It’s still not known why Van Pelt left. General manager Andrew Berry is scheduled to hold a postseason news conference next week.

Van Pelt’s exit wasn’t the only one as Stefanski fired running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney wasn’t retained after his contract expired.

Dickerson has spent the past three seasons in Seattle working with coach Pete Carroll, who was removed as coach after 14 seasons. Dickerson was initially the Seahawks’ run game coordinator before shifting to the offensive line.

Before he was with Seattle, Dickerson spent nine seasons as an assistant line coach with the Rams. He also worked for the New York Jets after beginning his NFL career as an intern with New England.

A day after his firing, Mitchell, who spent four seasons with Cleveland, released a statement in which he thanked Cleveland owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam and former Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, who first hired him with the Browns.

Mitchell was retained by Stefanski in 2020 and by all measures seemed to do a good job with Cleveland’s backs. Nick Chubb developed into one of the league’s best running backs under Mitchell’s guidance.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the players and running backs who donned the Browns helmet, giving their all to achieve success on Game Day,” Mitchell wrote. “I devoted my efforts to maximize your hard work and talent, and it has been a rewarding journey.”

The Browns have spoken with former NFL running back Duce Staley about replacing Mitchell.

Staley most recently worked with Carolina under Frank Reich before being fired in November. Staley has also worked for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, where he was on the same staff as Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Running backs coach Stump Mitchell was fired and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney will not be retained.

The news was first reported by Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.

A league source confirmed the decisions on Mitchell and McCartney. The source said Van Pelt is under contract to the Browns for 2024 and that a decision hasn’t been finalized, but Van Pelt confirmed the news himself in a text message to Jake Trotter of ESPN.

“On to the next one,” he said in the text message. “Proud of my time there.”

Mitchell has been the running backs coach since 2019 when Freddie Kitchens was head coach. McCartney was an offensive assistant in 2020 and 2021 and then promoted to tight ends coach in 2022.

Stefanski was asked Jan. 14 during his wrap-up news conference  “Will all your coaches be back?” He gave no clue a major shakeup was in store.

“We’re evaluating everything right now,” he said. “The other thing is some guys will get opportunities over the next couple of weeks, so we’ll see how it all shakes out.”

Van Pelt was faced with a difficult situation in 2023. The Browns used four different starting quarterbacks — Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker and Joe Flacco — through the first 16 games. Jeff Driskel started the season finale against the Bengals because Stefanski decided to rest the starters.

Each quarterback had different strengths, which meant tailoring the game plan each week for whichever one was starting. Not until Flacco started games 12 through 16 did any quarterback start more than three consecutive games. The Browns won four straight with Flacco — their longest winning streak of the season.

Watson will be the starting quarterback in 2024, Stefanski said in the wrap-up news conference. Perhaps Stefanski is convinced a different offensive coordinator will get more from Watson than what Watson showed in six starts in 2022 and six in 2023.

Watson was 3-3 in 2022 and technically 5-1 in 2023, though in reality he was 4-1. He started the game against the Colts and then aggravated a shoulder injury before the first quarter ended. The Browns were trailing, 7-0, when the switch was made to Walker. The Browns rallied to win, and since Watson started, he got credit for the victory. He threw 14 touchdown passes and nine interceptions in his 12 starts.

“Coach Stump,” as the running backs fondly referred to Mitchell, seemed to be highly respected by the players he coached.

Star running back Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game of the season. The Browns played with a second-string left tackle (Geron Christian) and third-string right tackle (James Hudson) the last month of the season because of injuries to left tackle Jedrick Wills and right tackles Jack Conklin plus Dawand Jones.

Despite the injuries, the Browns finished 12th in the league in rushing (2,017 yards, 15 touchdowns), but they struggled to run in some late season games — 29 yards on 18 carries vs. the Bears, and 54 yards on 30 carries vs. the Texans on Dec. 24. They managed just 56 yards on 20 carries in the 45-14 wild-card loss to the Texans.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski during his Jan. 14 wrap-up news conference made it crystal clear that Deshaun Watson will be the Browns’ starting quarterback in 2024.

“Correct,” Stefanski said when asked whether Watson is the starter heading into the offseason.

Watson missed three games and most of a fourth with a right rotator cuff injury early in the season. He returned to start against the Cardinals on Nov. 5, a game the Browns won 27-0, and a week later suffered a fractured shoulder in the first half of a game with the Ravens in Baltimore. Remarkably, he completed 14 of 14 passes in the second half and brought the Browns back from a 31-17 fourth-quarter deficit to win the game.

“That second half versus Baltimore is something that I don’t know how many people on Earth can do, what he did with the injuries that he had in that second half, so very excited for him,” Stefanski said. “He’s excited. I know he wants to get back healthy and he’s well on his way to doing that.

“He’s in great hands with Dr. (Neal) ElAttrache out there (in Los Angeles) in his rehab, he’s doing great. He’s on schedule, if not ahead of schedule, so I’m confident he’ll be ready to roll this spring. He’s feeling great. He’s right on track, so I know he’ll be ready probably sooner than most just because of how hard he works.”

Joe Flacco tried out for the Browns five days after Watson was injured and three days after that, on Nov 20, he was to the practice squad. He started against the Rams on Dec. 3, lost that game, and then won four straight to propel the Browns into the  playoffs.

Flacco was rested in the season finale against the Bengals. He threw two pick-sixes in the third quarter of the playoff loss. He totaled 14 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in six games, including the playoffs.

Is there enough room on the roster next year for Watson and Flacco? Probably not.

Flacco will be an unrestricted free agent in March. Browns general manager Andrew Berry signed him to a contract that would expire when the Browns’ season ended, anticipating Watson would be ready for 2024. Flacco, who turns 39 on Jan. 16, showed enough to draw interest from a team looking for a mentor for a young quarterback, if not a starter.  Watson doesn’t need a mentor.

“I’d leave all those things up to, obviously, Andrew this offseason,” Stefanski said. “I will say this about Joe. Joe was awesome for this football team. He did a great job, battled like crazy. I know he enjoyed it.

“We obviously wish yesterday’s outcome was different, but I have a ton of respect for Joe and what he was able to do.”

The Browns finished the regular season 11-6 to earn the top wild-card spot in the AFC, but then they were eliminated by the AFC South champion Houston Texans, 45-14, on Jan. 13 in the first round of the playoffs.

“These days, as we know, are no fun,” Coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Just meeting with the players, it’s very abrupt when the season ends. All our guys really put in so much work and to not be playing is tough and hard for our guys and hard for us as coaches. So that’s the immediate emotions,

“And then you also have to step back and express gratitude. Because I am extremely grateful for this football team. They work like crazy. They did everything I asked them to do, really going all the way back to April and they fought for each other. I think those are a bunch of guys that care about each other and I think you saw that throughout this season.”

Kevin Stefanski is disappointed in the way the #Browns season ended, but he proud of the way the players battled. pic.twitter.com/gyMDMWvw8v

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) January 14, 2024

Earlier, in the locker room, left guard Joel Bitonio walked to the interview area wearing a walking boot on his right foot because he suffered a high ankle sprain in the first half in Houston. He wore a metal support on the middle finger of his left hand because “a couple weeks ago, it got messed up, so I’m trying to make it so it doesn’t get stuck like that,” he said.

“It was a tough way to finish,” Bitonio said when asked about the wild-card loss. “I give all the credit to Houston.

“Obviously, the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl, but I don’t think it diminishes what these guys did, being resilient this year and coming together. I think the culture of this team and where we’re at as a group of men, that just like being around each other, and want to win for the city of Cleveland, it’s never been higher since I’ve been here. So I think the future of that is something to look forward to.”

“We didn’t show up in the biggest game of the year,” #Browns cornerback Greg Newsome said a day after losing 45-14 to the Texans in a wildcard playoff game. pic.twitter.com/iKR83Z8FQC

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) January 14, 2024

Cornerback Greg Newsome II said the loss to the Texans was a learning experience. It always seems the losing team does the most learning.

“We’re definitely going to come into next season with another chip on our shoulder,” Newsome said. “I think we did a good job this season, but we didn’t show up in the biggest game. So I think we’re going to learn from this moment and it’s only going to help us in the future.”

Bitonio and Newsome are under contract with the Browns next season. Kareem Hunt is a man without a team — again.

Hunt was in the same situation last year. He was a free agent until the Browns re-signed him to a one-year contract one day after Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee surgery in the second game.

“I’m definitely going to test free agency and see what the right option is for me or what’s best for me and my family and everything.,” Hunt said. “But for the most part, this is always home for me. It’s Cleveland until I die, so I’m going to have a special place in my heart for them.”

The former Willoughby South star played for the Browns from 2019-22. He scored nine rushing touchdowns in the regular season and then scored one on the ground and one on a pass from Joe Flacco in the playoff game.

The Browns became the first team since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to lose its starting quarterback, starting running back plus both starting tackles and still make the playoffs. But getting smashed by the Texans, 45-14, in the wild-card game in Houston stings because the players who should have carried the Browns to the second round of the playoffs failed.

“We picked a bad day to have a bad day,” Coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters while making sure to compliment the Texans.

I nicknamed Myles Garrett Mr. October a couple of years ago for a reason. He had one sack in the last seven games of the 2023 regular season and was invisible — except for two offsides penalties — on Jan. 13 in the biggest game of the season for the Browns. He and the rest of the defense failed to pressure Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, and because of that Stroud threw three touchdown passes in the first half. He should have thrown one more before halftime, but he overthrew wide-open Nico Collins inside the 10-yard-line.

“This is the most painful loss of my career,” Garrett told reporters. “They made plays on every mistake we made. We were outcoached, undermanned and outgunned. Speaking as a defensive player, I know we could have executed better.”

The Browns led 7-3 and 14-10 after two touchdowns scored by Kareem Hunt. After the first touchdown, the Texans regained the lead on a four-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Collins. After the second Hunt touchdown, the Texans needed only one play to retake the lead for good when Stroud hooked up with tight end Brevin Jordan on a 76-yard pass play.

Stefanski wasn’t just being a good sport when he credited the Texans. The Browns beat the Texans, 36-22, on Christmas Eve, after leading 36-7 in the fourth quarter. The Texans watched the film from the first game and made adjustments so the outcome would not be the same. It was as if the two teams changed roles.

Stroud was in concussion protocol and did not play in the Dec. 24 game. That was one difference from the first game but not the only one.

The Texans did not pressure Joe Flacco in the regular season meeting. Houston coach DeMeco Ryans emphasized that would have to change in the rematch. The Texans also knew they had to neutralize  Amari Cooper. Cooper caught 11 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns in the first game. He caught four passes for 59 yards in the wild-card game.

The Texans sacked Flacco four times. They made James Hudson look like a third-string right tackle, which he is, and made left tackle Geron Christian look like a player who began the season on the practice squad of another team (Chiefs), which he did.

“It’s disappointing the way it ended,” Flacco told reporters. “When the city and team embraces you the way they have, you definitely want to do big things, mostly for your teammates because those guys have been incredible.

“But it’s hard not to feel the way the city rallied around the group of guys in that locker room. That’s another reason why we love the NFL. It’s the fans.”

Flacco, such a storybook hero for leading the Browns to four straight wins in December after being signed on Nov. 20, threw crippling pick-sixes on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter, turning a 24-14 hole into a 38-14 canyon. He was pressured on both plays. He said he was trying to throw the ball away on the first one, but he didn’t have enough velocity to throw it out of bounds. The other was thrown on fourth down.

After everything Flacco did, it is a shame he will be remembered for two back-breaking interceptions that snuffed out the chance to advance. Because in reality, he probably won’t get a chance to redeem himself in a Browns uniform next season.

HOUSTON — From the couch to the playoffs, Joe Flacco had an incredible run with the Browns.

But his stretch of success came to a sudden end on Jan. 13, when the Browns lost, 45-14, to the Texans in a wild-card playoff matchup.

Flacco had interceptions returned for touchdowns on consecutive drives in the third quarter to turn a close game into a laugher and send the team home with its worst playoff loss since a 34-0 defeat to the Baltimore Colts on Dec. 29, 1968.

“It’s definitely a shame the way it went down and hard to deal with at the moment,” Flacco said.

C.J. Stroud and the Texans built a 24-14 lead before halftime. Houston’s defense took over after that, with a pick-6 by Steven Nelson and another by Christian Harris that made it 38-14.

“That’s killer giving up points like that,” coach Kevin Stefanski said.

Flacco, who will turn 39 on Jan. 16, was signed to Cleveland’s practice squad in November after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. He went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns (11-7) to just their third playoff appearance since their 1999 expansion rebirth, but second in four seasons under Stefanski.

Playing in his 17th postseason game but first in nine years, the former Super Bowl MVP — who came in tied with Tom Brady for the most road playoff victories by a QB with seven — couldn’t continue his run.

“I was so fortunate to become a part of this team,” Flacco said. “It’s a special group. I know a lot of people can say that, but it really is. To be given a chance to do this with those guys, I’m super grateful for it.”

He finished with 307 yards and had a touchdown pass in the first half, but his mistakes under pressure in the third quarter were too much for the Browns to overcome on a day when Stroud easily outshined him in his playoff debut. In addition to the two picks, Flacco was sacked four times.

Watson was under center for the Texans during their last playoff run in 2019 but played just six games for the Browns this season. He was on the sideline for just the second time since his surgery, watching the man who replaced him as Houston’s franchise quarterback.

Flacco became one of the best comeback stories of the year in helping the Browns to the postseason. Although he won a Super Bowl with Baltimore and plenty of other big playoff games, he’s also no stranger to the pain of an early postseason exit.

“It’s always difficult when you get this time of the year. … Usually, the further you go, the more heartbreak there is,” he said. “At least from my experience. It’s a lot of fun along the way, but if you do get beat, it’s hard to deal with.”

Stefanski refused to blame Flacco’s mistakes for the loss.

“We just didn’t play well enough in any phase,” he said. “We didn’t play well enough. We didn’t coach well enough.”

Flacco was asked if he’d like to return to the Browns next season. Some fans have clamored for Cleveland to bring him back, given that he’s been more effective at running Stefanski’s offense than Watson has been.

“I love it here, (but) we’re dealing with so much going through the emotions of this game,” Flacco said. “Being so excited to be in this position and coming up empty, so that’s where my head is. Just trying to soak it all in and let this digest.”

The Panthers decided to bring in another person with NFL experience. On Jan. 12, they confirmed they were hiring former Cleveland Browns player and assistant coach Doug Colman.

“You have to do what other people aren’t doing,” Elyria Catholic Athletic Director Jim Piazza said. “You have to be open-minded to see what is the scenario for Elyria Catholic and Elyria Catholic athletes. You listen and you research. We were really fortunate to be able to get somebody with his caliber to go with what we are coaching in his coaching staff to take our team to the next level.”

Colman will replace former Panthers assistant coach Doran Grant, who departed to be the head coach at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

“Everything is about timing. Once the news broke with Coach Grant (leaving), the phone started ringing,” Farris said. “We ended up connecting. We sat down and talked for the first time for almost two hours. We really meshed well. He is an amazing guy, with a really prestigious and coaching track record. He is a high-quality coach. We are glad to be able to bring him on staff.”

Elyria Catholic football: St. Vincent-St. Mary hires Elyria Catholic Defensive Coordinator, Ohio State defensive back Doran Grant

The brotherhood has expanded to the Cornhusker state of Nebraska, as Colman won two national championships in 1994 and 1995 as a player.

He was drafted in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL Draft and played professionally until his final year in 2001. He was a linebacker for the Browns in 2000.

"When you get guys that play at the highest level, how can any of our athletes question on what it takes to be the best," Piazza said. "That is our goal. We want to be the best in everything that we do."

He joined the coaching staff at Nebraska in 2008 and progressed to eventually become an assistant special teams coach for the Browns in 2019.

Colman was a state championship head coach in 2006 at Absegami High School in New Jersey.

In Farris' first year at Elyria Catholic, the Panthers went 3-7 (1-4 in GLC West).

Belichick, formerly the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, was hired to replace the disastrous Bud Carson, who after getting the Browns to the AFC championship in the 1989 season saw his team finish 3-13 in 1990.

The late Art Modell, who moved the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore after the 1995 season, had Belichick pegged to replace Carson while the Giants were preparing to play the Bills in Super Bowl XXV on Jan. 27, 1991. I remember very clearly being among a group of reporters that interviewed Belichick that week.

“I’m not answering questions about the Cleveland Browns,” he said sourly. And that was that.

Belichick’s famed coaching tree took root in Cleveland. He hired Saban to be his defensive coordinator in 1991. Saban coached the Browns’ defense for four years and then left in 1995 to be the head coach at Michigan State.

Belichick in 1993 replaced offensive line coach Hal Hunter (Hunter sounded exactly like late comedian Red Skelton doing a Clem Kadiddlehopper skit) with Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz has been the head coach at Iowa since 1999.

The only difference between Belichick during his 24-year reign in New England and his time in Cleveland is gray hair and wrinkles in his face. He greeted Cleveland media this way:

“I understand that some of you travel on the team plane,” he said. “That’s out now.”

Saban had a different personality than Belichick when both coached in Cleveland. We would interview the coordinators separately in a small room. Saban would joke around a little, but he was super serious about his job and it was evident 30 years ago he wouldn’t be an assistant coach for long.

Bill’s father, Steve Belichick, was a football coach and scout at Navy from 1956-89. His primary job was scouting for the Midshipmen.

Saban coached the Navy defensive backs in 1982, which is how the younger Belichick and Saban got to know each other. Saban was the defensive backs coach of the Houston Oilers in 1988-89 and the head coach at Toledo for one year before Belichick hired him as Browns defensive coordinator.

“There’s nobody I respect more in football than Nick Saban and I don’t think there’s anybody that’s a better coach than Nick Saban,” Belichick said in a 2019 HBO documentary titled “Belichick and Saban: The Art of Coaching.”

“What he’s accomplished as a football coach is, I think, unparalleled. I look up to him. I admire what he’s done, and I’ve learned a ton from Nick.

“Somewhere along the line we’re probably related, distantly, There’s gotta be a brotherhood there somewhere, or at least cousins.”

Belichick was the head coach for the Patriots when they won Six Super Bowls. Saban won seven national championships as a college coach — one at LSU and six at Alabama. Saban is one of the few coaches who had success after moving on from Belichick.

“I think there are a lot of similarities,” Saban said in the HBO documentary. “Now whether it comes from lineage or something else I really don’t know. I always thought we sort of thought a little bit alike.

“Sometimes people have a real true love and respect for someone. You really love to see them have this success and continue to have this success. I don’t know how many people can really understand that kind of relationship. That’s kind of how I feel about Bill.”

Belichick is actually a nice guy at times. I personally got along with him well. But he could also be cold and cantankerous.

Mike Wise, a defensive end who played three games for the Browns in 1991 in Belichick’s first year, tragically committed suicide on Aug. 21, 1992, when teams were in training camp. About two months earlier, Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Jerome Brown was killed in a car accident when he lost control of the Corvette he was driving, went airborne and slammed into a palm tree and utility pole.

“Yeah,” Belichick said when asked about Wise in training camp that day. “It’s been a bad summer for defensive linemen.”

Stat of the Week

The Detroit Pistons beat the San Antonio Spurs in double overtime, 138-132, on Feb. 10, 2023. Their record since then is 5-61.

I didn’t know that

… until I read my Snapple bottle cap.

Each year, the moon moves about four centimeters away from Earth. … Millions of years ago, giant beavers weighing 200 pounds roamed what is now Minnesota. … Indonesia is made up of 17,024 islands.… Honey bees navigate by using the sun as a compass. … Human eyes have more than two million working parts. … Water can boil and freeze at the same time.