DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Charles Ali Article - Steve King

Ali the latest unlikely Brown
Steve King, Staff Writer
09.04.2007

Browns fullback Charles Ali didn't think he knew anyone in Cleveland.

And he was sure he didn't know anyone well enough for them to smile, shake hands with him, sit down and engage in a lengthy conversation as if they were long, lost buddies.

But that's the way Cleo Miller treated Ali when their paths crossed this spring at an event in the cafeteria at the team's training facility where the Browns rookies had dinner with some of the club's former players.

Miller, in fact, couldn't wait to meet Ali. They had a lot -- a lot -- in common, even though the rookie didn't know it.

Miller, who played collegiately at tiny Arkansas-Pine Bluff, was an undrafted rookie fullback who first made the Kansas City Chiefs roster in 1974 and then was signed by the Browns midway through the following season. Since he was a virtual unknown, his arrival in Cleveland caused nary a ripple.

But it should have, because Miller went on to play eight years with the Browns, retiring after the 1982 season, and is their ninth all-time leading rusher with 2,286 yards, placing him just ahead of the great Eric Metcalf. He rushed for 16 touchdowns, averaged 4.2 yards per carry and was the team's leading ground-gainer for two straight years (1976-77), when he combined for 1,369 yards. He also caught 126 passes for 1,026 yards and a TD during his career.

Early in training camp in 1976, then Browns head coach Forrest Gregg called Miller the biggest surprise on the team.

So what does all of this have to do with Ali? Plenty.

Ali also played at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and came to the Browns as an undrafted rookie free agent. When he looked at a team that already had a promising young fullback in second-year pro Lawrence Vickers, and a host of capable running backs, including former Baltimore Ravens star Jamal Lewis, Ali no doubt thought he had little -- if any -- chance to stick with the Browns.

But Miller made it a point to tell him -- over and over, emphatically -- that he was living proof that someone from their off-the-beaten-path school could make it with the Browns.

And Miller was right -- again -- for when the final roster cuts were announced last Saturday, Ali had a place on the Browns and, like Miller, had thus become the biggest surprise on the team. After all, he was kept while three 2007 Browns draft picks were let go.

Ali was probably the only one who was happier than Miller about his good news.

"Ever since I was 7 years old, I wanted to play in the NFL," Ali said Monday as the Browns began getting ready for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

"The fact that it all came true is just a huge blessing. I thank God that it happened."

He admits there were times during training camp and the preseason when he doubted he'd last. But even then, he never quit working hard. He wanted to be sure he gave it his best shot, and if it wasn't enough, then so be it. He could live with that. But if it didn't work out, he wanted to have no regrets.

"I kept thinking to myself that I know how to play football. I know the game," he said. "What I had to do was adjust to the faster speed of the NFL game."

And he did. Right away.

In fact, during the early days of camp, the 6-foot-2, 265-pounder raised eyebrows with the bone-rattling blocks he delivered. It seemed as if he were carrying a sledgehammer underneath his jersey.

Growing up, Ali said he emulated Lorenzo Neal, like himself a powerful blocking fullback, and ex-Steeler Jerome Bettis, "because he was a big, fullback-sized guy who played tailback."

Now Ali has something in common with both of them -- and also with Miller, his biggest fan in Cleveland -- in that they all made it to the NFL.

I think its kinda retarded to keep two FB's... but hey.. whatever you think works...

I checked and a lot of teams do have two FB's on the team... I guess they do need to be fresh if they are going to be primarily blocking DE's, DT's, and LB's, all game long..

Why would you not want a backup at a position that involves as much contact as the FB spot? There's a high risk for injury there. It's not like we're carrying two kickers or two punters. I like that we have insurance at a tough spot.

I haven't noticed Charles Ali in the two pre-season games i was able to watch so far. But he sure sounds like a human wrecking ball. I figured we cut Terrelle Smith because we were planning on going with just Vickers. This just confuses me, as I have always liked Terrelle Smith and thought he wasn't used enough. May be Ali is very good on special teams as well.

Hopefully Ali can be close to the player Smith was, if so he'll always find somewhere to go in the NFL

Smith frustrated me a lot... lol... He blocks pretty well, but every time he caught the ball it was behind the LOS, and he would never break a tackle... He would lose 2-3 yards and get up all hyped and amped up like he did something to help the team... i never understood that...

Well if Ali can go into our first game with the Ravens and put Ray Lewis on his butt the way that Smith can, I'll be mighty happy

That's why I like Vickers though, he isn't so one dimensional. We really shouldn't have thrown the ball much to Smith, and when he'd go in the game every team would write him off as only a blocking threat.

But yeah, you've been on the board for awhile. Terrelle Smith was a warrior, whether he got negative yards or not. lol. He was the one who would scrap it up and defend our team's honor (he did get into a fight with Joey Porter didn't he?), and he targeted defenses prime time players and lit them up to. Come on man, don't hate

Guys that defended the Browns honor -

1) Terrelle Smith - not a Brown anymore
2) William Green - out of the league
3) Antonio Bryant - out of the league

Key to success... Don't defend Browns honor.. lol.. j/k..

i like, more than anything, what i saw around the five yard line with him. he finished his blocks, and more often than not, left his man on his butt in the end zone. That's the way you fix the red zone problems, lol

When the Browns played the Saints last year in the opener, 3 Saints FBs got hurt that game. After the game they had to sign McIntrye, who was on the Browns PS or was one of the final cuts last year.

In regards to cutting Smith if favor of Vickers, then signing Ali who plays much like Smith. Smith was maiking $2million at one point. I would think Ali is making league minimum. Same player for not even half the price. Good business move I guess.

In regards to the Browns enforcers, I think you could add Gerard Warren to that list. he got into a fight with Buffaloe in scrimmage on his first day of practice and i remember him getting thrown out of the game for throwing a crazy haymaker at an opposing o-lineman.

I guess I'm one of the few on here that favor 2 FB's on the roster instead of 4 TE's. I'm glad Savage found this kid. Ali could be a younger and less expensive version of T. Smith who imo was never used to his potential as a Brown.

If Vickers is what he supposed to be then he should be the one to give Lewis some rest or as a replacement if Lewis went down for an extended time. I just don't see Wright stepping in for Lewis and having the same physical presence where I can see that from Vickers. Droughns came is as FB but as a RB broke a 1,000 yards. If Vickers does have to fill in for Lewis then I'd like to have Ali blocking for him.

If Vickers went down then who would we have blocking for Lewis? Heiden, Dinkins, Krause?? No thanks, give me a smashmouth FB to plow the lanes. Especially in the cold, wet and windy months of Nov through Jan. To me that is and always will be Cleveland Browns football.

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but every time he caught the ball it was behind the LOS, and he would never break a tackle

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Hey now give the "People mover" a break. One of my favorite plays two years ago was him catching the ball out of the backfield against the titans and then flat out truck sticking a linebacker and a corner back for an extremely physical 7 yard gain. I was always a fan of Smith simply because he would light people up. However I do like the fact we're going with Vickers because he is multi-dimensional, anything to keep the D on their toes. To get to Ali, I see him playing the people moving roll while spelling Vickers. Plus he'll be cheaper than Smith also.