Shaffer
11-05-02, 08:35 AM
The Browns honored team owner Alfred Lerner with a ceremony prior to Sunday’s Browns-Steelers game. The Browns paid tribute to Mr. Lerner with a video presentation followed by a 21-gun salute and a flyover by FA-18 Hornets.
Lerner passed away on Oct. 23. He was 69.
During the presentation, an audio clip of Lerner talking about bringing the Browns back to Cleveland was played from an interview on Sept. 8, 1998.
“We consider the ownership of the Cleveland Browns to represent a very serious responsibility,” Lerner said at the time. “We will work very hard to make the people of Cleveland and Northern Ohio proud of their football team.”
The U.S. Marine Corps provided the colors and the national anthem. The entire Lerner family was on the field during the ceremony, accompanied by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
The crowd of over 72,000 cheered loudly when a photo of Lerner was displayed to end the presentation.
Lerner passed away on Oct. 23. He was 69.
During the presentation, an audio clip of Lerner talking about bringing the Browns back to Cleveland was played from an interview on Sept. 8, 1998.
“We consider the ownership of the Cleveland Browns to represent a very serious responsibility,” Lerner said at the time. “We will work very hard to make the people of Cleveland and Northern Ohio proud of their football team.”
The U.S. Marine Corps provided the colors and the national anthem. The entire Lerner family was on the field during the ceremony, accompanied by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
The crowd of over 72,000 cheered loudly when a photo of Lerner was displayed to end the presentation.