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This is a petition to have the #99 retired in Honor of the Late owner of the Cleveland Browns Alfred Lerner. Mr. Lerner died Wednesday night at the age of 69. He leaves behind an amazing legacy of success, generosity, and work ethic. He leaves his beloved Cleveland Browns in the hands of his family, his son Randy, Carmen Policy, and Butch Davis. The climb towards the top of the NFL continues.
Mr. Lerner wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mr. Lerner was awarded the Cleveland Browns franchise on September 8, 1998, with the official transfer of ownership taking place approximately 45 days later, on October 23. He set out to hire “the best people” to work for the Browns and got the wheels spinning on a long term plan to put the Browns in the Super Bowl.
His biggest hire came 27 months later when he lured Davis from the University of Miami.
“It’s amazing that in a short amount of time someone can make a enormous impact on you,” Davis said. “Everything that he was about as a man, he very easily could communicate those things to you. He had ideals about being first class and doing things in a manner that makes everyone proud.”
“Dignity, compassion, respect,” is how former Browns WR Reggie Rucker, currently an alumni liaison with the team, described Mr. Lerner. “I heard him say that you should never talk down to anyone. And he lived that way.
“He had humility and a great respect for humanity. And if anyone was meant to be the owner of the Cleveland Browns, to be in the position that he was in, it was Al Lerner. He was the right man, for the right job, at the right time.”
“The things that he stood for,” Davis said, “are the things that our coaching staff wants from this football team. Character, integrity, the passion that he had for the team and the city, the commitment to his family, the loyalty.”
Rucker told a story of trying to contact Mr. Lerner several years ago in hopes of securing a donation for a foundation benefiting children with cancer. A secretary took the call and informed Rucker that Mr. Lerner was vacationing in the Pacific Islands.
Mr. Lerner didn’t just get the message. He returned the call a few hours later.
“I’ve talked to guys who don’t have two nickels to rub together--and they’d never call you back,” Rucker said. “But here was a guy with all the money in the world and all sorts of things to attend to, taking time out of his day from some faraway place to get in touch with me.
“From then on, I was a huge Al Lerner fan.”
There are many.
Mr. Lerner personified the spirit and the situation of the Cleveland Browns. The son of an immigrant candy shop owner, he started his venture into the business world as a furniture salesman. He moved on to real estate, and eventually to banking. He was the Chairman and CEO of MBNA Corporation, the largest independent bank lender through credit cards in the United States.
He was a Marine, a leader, and a winner. He wanted employees with similar characteristics. He shared his visions and views often, and the players got his inspirational message.
Battle. Earn respect. Work your way to the top. When you get there, give back. Generously. Often. |
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I am a fan of the Cleveland Browns and more importantly a fan of the Man. Al Lerner touched my life in many ways. He helped the medical hospitals that saved my brother's life not once, not twice, but three times. It was his commitment to the betterment of the world and the city of Cleveland that makes me so sad upon his passing. I want to thank him and his family for the support and love that they shared with myself, my family and my city. The world is a much darker place now. May he rest in peace. |
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