Lou Groza, 1924-2000

Lou "The Toe" Groza, a Hall of Fame tackle who also excelled as the Cleveland Browns' placekicker during his 21-season pro career, died last night at the age of 76.

"Lou Groza was one of the most beloved members of the Cleveland Browns and the Pro Football Hall of Fame," stated Hall of Fame Executive Director John Bankert. "His death is a shocking loss to his family, friends, teammates, and football fans everywhere. 

"Lou continually demonstrated his affection for the Pro Football Hall of Fame by making himself available in any way that he thought might be of benefit to the museum," continued Bankert.

A member of Browns since their inaugural season in 1946 in the All-America Football Conference, Groza was the last of the original Browns to retire when he hung up his cleats following the 1967 season. Named All-NFL as a tackle six times, Groza also amassed 1,608 points in the AAFC and NFL. Including his numbers in the AAFC, Groza ranks seventh all-time in scoring.