It was almost eight years ago, back when Wheelie became Wheelie, when I first explored the pattern plaguing those who have worn the number 80 for the Browns. Nothing’s happened in the meantime to wrinkle this fateful fabric, so I’ve delved into the full history with a feature of nearly 4,000 words. The first of three parts is now up at the Orange and Brown Report. Suffice it to say, I was seriously intrigued by what I learned of the great Len Ford, one of just two Browns defensive players in the Hall of Fame.

Len Ford dons an oversize cage to protect his broken face and return to action in the epic 1950 NFL Championship game.

Update: now that all three parts have run on the OBR, I’ve posted the full piece on this single page and will plan to update it as events warrant.