Dawgs By Nature
25 questions with one of the most decorated Browns player in history
Every football championship team has a few things in common. A great pass rush, capable cover corners, and a superb offensive line.
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Notice that the quarterback wasn’t mentioned. It is a huge plus to have a great signal-caller, of course, but there have been teams that have won titles with average quarterback play as long as other positions step up. Think Trent Dilfer with the Baltimore Ravens or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Brad Johnson. And yes, most exceptional championship squads were indeed led by a Tom Brady, Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning, Bart Starr, Sid Luckman, or somebody named Patrick Mahomes.
The offensive line is crucial. When the O-Line plays poorly, the number of sacks increases, completions decrease, the running game suffers, pressures go way up, passing yardage is diminished, and scoring goes down. Then it’s a long day at the office.
The Cleveland Browns have been blessed with exceptional offensive linemen over their decades of playing the pro game.
This trend began with Frank Gatski, who played center for the Browns from 1946 to 1956. He is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (HOF) as well as the Browns Ring of Honor. During this same time, Lou Groza played right tackle although he was most known for his placekicking abilities. He is also in the Hall and the Ring of Honor.
From there, various offensive linemen have dotted the rosters of future Cleveland squads such as OT Dick Schafrath, OG Jim Ray Smith, C Mike Baab, OG Wyatt Teller, OT Cody Risien, OG Abe Gibron, OT Mitchell Schwartz, OG John Wooten, C Alex Mack, OT Doug Dieken, OT Joe DeLamielleure (HOF), C J.C. Tretter, OT Mike McCormack (HOF), and of course, probably the best of the bunch in OG Gene Hickerson (HOF) and OT Joe Thomas (HOF).
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This list cannot be complete without adding offensive guard Joel Bitonio.
Bitonio is the poster child for guys who weren’t really noticed until later in their careers. He grew up a Southern California kid who lived close to the ocean and spent a lot of time on the beach and in the water. It’s what you do when you are a beacher.
He attended Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach (Calif.), just 32 minutes south of Los Angeles and a short distance from Disneyland. Bitonio’s main sport was basketball, where he averaged 12.3 points and 11.2 rebounds a game. But he also played along the offensive line in football. As a senior, he became involved in track, where he tossed the shot put, and he led his division with a top throw of 15.39 meters at the 2009 CIF Southern Section Division 1 Prelims.
But basketball was his true love. So, naturally, he gravitated towards the Los Angeles Lakers, where his idol was Kobe Bryant. Bitonio had Bryant’s poster on his wall, which...
