Tom DeLeone obit

Former Cleveland Browns center Tom DeLeone, a two-time Pro Bowler, dies at age 65

 

He was not on the list.

BEREA, Ohio - Tom DeLeone transformed himself from an NFL journeyman into a two-time Pro Bowl center through toughness and a stubborn streak that earned him colorful nicknames from teammates.

The Browns' offensive lineman was dubbed "Little Woody," after his beloved and irascible Ohio State football coach, and "Anvil Head" because of his unwillingness to back down from any challenge.

"You could have hit him over the head with a sledgehammer and he'd just keep coming," said former Browns teammate Doug Dieken.

DeLeone, a 13-year NFL veteran and key member of the Kardiac Kids, died early Sunday morning at his home in Park City, Utah following a five-year battle with brain cancer. He was 65.

The Kent Roosevelt High graduate started 104 pro games after earning All-American honors at Ohio State, where he played from 1968-71.

His bravery in the face of death impressed friends, colleagues and former coaches on multiple occasions. DeLeone's first wife died from cancer during the 1976 season and, respecting her final wishes, played just days after her passing.

In recent months, teammates and coaches visited DeLeone at his Utah residence.

"He was always positive, always believed he'd find a way to beat it," former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano said. "He had a lot of Woody Hayes in him because he was stubborn and he was a fighter."

DeLeone's pro career started slowly. Selected by the Bengals in the fifth-round of the 1972 draft, he spent his first two seasons as a long snapper. He bounced around with the Falcons and Houston Oilers before signing with the Browns midway through the 1974 season.

The center wasn't big - he played at 6-2, 248 pounds - but he relied on quickness and use of leverage. He anchored a Browns' offensive line that featured Dieken, Cody Risien, Robert Jackson, Joe DeLamielleure and Henry Sheppard.

The group afforded Brian Sipe time to lead the Browns to many stirring comeback wins and a 1980 division title. The quarterback, a close friend to DeLeone, was named league MVP that season.

DeLeone made back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl in 1979-80, and is one of three Browns' centers to earn multiple Pro Bowl honors. Alex Mack and John Morrow are the others.

In 2011, just months after his cancer diagnosis, DeLeone was inducted into the Browns' Legends Club.

"He was a unique person and he had this indefinable quality about him," Rutigliano said of DeLeone, who retired from the team after the 1984 season.. "He's not a guy that would have been favored by analytics. It was all intangibles with Tom.

Dieken lauded DeLeone's selflessness. During a 1975 game against the Steelers, fellow lineman Bob McKay was kicked in the groin by Pittsburgh defensive linemen Joe Greene. The first teammate to McKay's rescue, Dieken recalled, was DeLeone, who came off the bench throwing forearms at the menacing Steelers' defender.

"If you were in a street fight, you wanted Tom on your side," Dieken said.

After retiring from football, DeLeone worked 22 years in law enforcement with the U.S. Customs Service and anti-terrorism units, including keeping watch over the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

DeLeone took great pride in his second career. He loved his country, Dieken said, and saw the world "in terms of black and white." He also served as a substitute teacher and assistant football coach after retiring from his government duties.

"Talent is God given, but character is a matter of choice," Rutigliano said. "Tom had so much character."

DeLeone is survived by his second wife and their three children.