The Cleveland Browns have always been known for their run game and the backs that have carried the rock to help the team succeed over the 80 years of football in town. While there have been a plethora of backs, there were some that became fan favorites, and here are 10 of them (11 of them really, but I had 2 backs as a tandem; can you guess who?).

10. Cleo Miller

Cleo Miller played for the Browns from 1975 to 1982. He wasn’t the star back then because there were other more prominent backs back then that we’ll discuss later on the list, but he was a fan favorite. Every time I’ve written one of these articles, fans always want to know why Miller was left of the list.

He ended up with 2,492 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. He was also a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield, where he went for 140 receptions for 1,175 yards.

9. Peyton Hillis

His time in Cleveland was brief, only two seasons, but what Hillis did in one season was impressive enough to put him on the cover of the popular video game Madden Football the following season. Hillis was traded to the Browns in 2010 after doing nothing in two previous seasons with the Denver Broncos. With Cleveland, he made his mark in a big way. He ran, or rather ran over opponents, for 1,177 yards, scoring 11 touchdowns. He was also a reliable pass catcher, going for 477 yards on 61 receptions.

8. Mike Pruitt

Pruitt’s love from Browns fans comes because of his longevity and reliability for his team. He ran for 6,540 yards as a member of the Cleveland teams from 1976 to 1984. His best seasons were between 1979 and 1983, when he had four seasons of over 1,000 yards.

7. Greg Pruitt

The other famous Pruitt (no relation to Mike) was a former Oklahoma Sooner and drafted by the Browns in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He ran up 5,496 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns in nine seasons with the team. His primary seasons were from 1975 to 1978, where he scampered for over 1,000 yards in three straight campaigns. He was also a good receiver coming out of the backfield.

6. Kareem Hunt

After some off-the-field issues, Kareem Hunt came to Cleveland in 2019, where he became an instant fan favorite. He was paired up with Nick Chubb(who we’ll discuss soon), and the two made a great backfield tandem. Hunt was primarily used as the second back but also caught many screen passes flaring out of the backfield to help make the Browns offense very good. His best season was back in 2020, when he rumbled for 841 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes for 304 yards and five more touchdowns. His bruising plus high flying (where he’d leap his tacking opponents) will always be remembered by devoted Browns fans.