Career Transactions: Originally signed by Cleveland as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005.
Pro Bowl Selections: 2 (2007, 2009).
Career Highlights: NFL career leader with eight kickoff return touchdowns… Named as the kick returner on the 2000s NFL All-Decade Team… Enters the 2012 season ranked fifth in total return touchdowns (11), seventh all-time in kickoff return yards (8,837) and seventh in total return yards (10,534)… Franchise career leader in kickoff returns (344), kickoff return yards (8,837), combined net yards (12,343), punt returns (157), punt return yards (1,697), punt return average (10.8) and return touchdowns (11)… Ranks as the Browns’ single-season leader in combined net yards (2,510 in 2009), kickoff returns (61 in 2006), kickoff return yards (1,809 in 2007) and kickoff return scores (3 in 2009)… Franchise single-game leader in combined net yards (316 on 12/20/09), kickoff return yards (269 on 12/20/09), kickoff return scores (2 on 12/20/09) and kickoff return average (51.0 on 11/11/07).
Seasonal Reviews:
2011: Played in 16 games with seven starts at wide receiver… Caught 41 passes for 518 yards and four touchdowns, a figure which co-led the team (Evan Moore)… Finished second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards… Set career-highs for both receptions and receiving yards… Joined Evan Moore to become the first Browns to have four or more receiving scores in a season since 2007 when Braylon Edwards (16) and Kellen Winslow (5) each accomplished the feat … Rushed for 25 yards on seven attempts… Returned 39 kickoffs for a 25.0-yard average with a long of 63, and 34 punts for an 11.4-yard average, including an 84-yard touchdown… Had kickoff returns of 63, 52 and 51 yards – all of which led to points by the Browns… Added 14 special teams tackles, a figure that led the squad… Ranked fourth in the AFC and 12th in the NFL in kickoff return average… Finished third in the AFC and sixth in the NFL in punt return average… Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts at Indianapolis (9/18), where he brought back two kickoffs for 80 yards with a long of 52 and two punts for 52 yards with a long of 43… His 52-yard kickoff return and 43-yard punt return both set up touchdown drives… Appeared in his 100th career regular season game and hauled in five passes for 50 yards, including a two-yard touchdown at Houston (11/6)… Also returned a kickoff 63 yards and posted three tackles on kickoff coverage… Returned a punt for a career-long 84 yards for a touchdown at Baltimore (12/24)… Led the team with career-high figures of seven receptions and 91 yards against Pittsburgh (1/1/12) and added three tackles on kickoff coverage.
2010: Voted a co-captain on special teams and played in 15 games with five starts… Caught 23 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 66 yards on 20 carries and completed 2 of 3 pass attempts for 19 yards… Returned 40 kickoffs for a 20.4-yard average with a long of 37 and fielded 20 punts for an 8.4-yard average… Set a career-high with 74 receiving yards on three receptions, including a career-long 65-yard touchdown reception from Seneca Wallace, against Kansas City (9/19)… Tied a career-best with five receptions, totaling 58 yards, and rushed for 20 yards on two carries at Baltimore (9/26)… Fielded a Saints punt following the first series of the game at New Orleans (10/24), and lateraled across the field to Eric Wright, who ran 62 yards to the Saints’ 19, setting up a Phil Dawson field goal, and giving the Browns a 3-0 lead in a game they would go on to win, 30-17… Was inactive at Jacksonville (11/21) with a foot injury sustained the previous week against the Jets (11/14).
2009: Voted a co-captain on special teams, started 12 of the 16 games in which he played… Caught 20 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and rushed for 381 yards with one touchdown on 55 carries… Rushing totals, which were third-most on the team, came primarily out of Wildcat formation… Also attempted four passes with one completion for 18 yards and an interception… Returned 56 kickoffs for a 27.5 avg. with three touchdowns – 103, 100 and 98 yarders… Fielded 38 punts for an 11.9 avg. with a 67-yarder for a touchdown… Punt return average was second in the AFC and fourth in the NFL… Kickoff return average led the AFC and was third in the NFL… Led the NFL with 1,994 total kickoff and punt return yards, the fourth-highest single-season figure in NFL annals… With 2,214 return yards in 2007, he holds two of the top four season totals in NFL history… Finished with 2,510 all-purpose yards, the fifth-highest single-season total in NFL history… His three kickoff returns for touchdowns tied for the third-most in NFL annals, trailing only the four by Cecil Turner (Chicago, 1970) and Travis Williams (Green Bay, 1967)… His four total return scores and three from kickoffs are both Browns single-season records… Was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December/January when he returned 17 kickoffs for a 31.0-yard average with two touchdowns and fielded 14 punts for a 9.7-yard average… Earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors back-to-back times for Weeks 14 and 15… Voted as the return specialist for the AFC Pro Bowl squad… First-team All-Pro selection by the Associated Press…Selected to SI.com’s All-Pro team… Also named to the Pro Football Weekly/Professional Football Writers of America All-NFL team… Surpassed 1,000 kickoff return yards for the fifth straight season to open his career, the first player in NFL history to accomplish that feat… With 60 kickoff return yards at Buffalo (10/11), he became the third player to amass more than 6,000 kickoff return yards with one team, joining Brian Mitchell (9,586 with Washington) and Dante Hall (8,644 with Kansas City)… Returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score at Pittsburgh (10/18) to surpass Eric Metcalf as the all-time franchise leader… Rushed for a game and career-high 87 yards on eight carries, including a career-long 37-yard run against Pittsburgh (12/10)… Shined on special teams at Kansas City (12/20), when he averaged 44.8 on six kickoff returns, including touchdowns of 100 and 103 yards… His 100-yarder in the first quarter was his seventh return for a TD in his career, breaking an NFL record… When he returned one 103 yards for a score in the second quarter, he became the ninth player in NFL history to have two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game, and the first Brown to do so… Also became just the second NFL player to have two 100-yard kickoff returns in a game (Ted Ginn, 2009)… His 269 kickoff return yards represent the fourth-highest total in NFL history and are a Browns single-game record.
2008: Returned a kickoff for a touchdown for the fourth straight season, marking a franchise best… Led the team in special teams tackles for the third consecutive season, with 26… Voted as a special teams captain at the start of the season… Late in the fourth quarter at Washington (10/19), recorded his first career touchdown reception, a one-yard grab from Derek Anderson with 2:44 remaining… In a 23-17 win at Jacksonville (10/26), recovered a fourth quarter fumble by Brian Witherspoon on kickoff return coverage at the Jacksonville 25-yard line, which led to a 42-yard field goal to open a 23-17 lead… Recorded a 92-yard kickoff return touchdown against Baltimore (11/2), and totaled 237 kickoff return yards and 278 combined return yards in the game (41 punt return), as both totals were second-most in franchise history… Recorded his first career rushing touchdown with a two-yard score at Buffalo (11/17)… Completed first career pass, an eight-yard strike to Martin Rucker, at Pittsburgh (12/28).
2007: Had a breakout season and earned a Pro Bowl selection… Led the NFL with a 30.7 yard kickoff return average and 1,809 kickoff return yards… Set a franchise record with 1,809 kickoff return yards which ranked second-best in NFL history in a single-season (2,186 MarTay Jenkins, Arizona in 2000)… 2,214 combined return yards (1,809 KOR; 405 PR) also ranked second-best in NFL history in a single season (Michael Lewis, New Orleans in 2002 with 2,432 yards - 1,807 KOR; 625 PR)… Ranked third in the NFL with a 13.5 yard punt return average… Led the club with 23 special teams tackles… Became only the second player in NFL history to average more than 30+ yards on kickoff returns and 10+ yards on punt returns in the same season (Terry Metcalf, St. Louis in 1974 with 31.2 KOR and 13.1 PR)… Twice was named the NFL Special Teams Player of the Month (September and November)… Set a franchise single-game record with 245 kickoff return yards at Baltimore (11/18), and added 61 yards on punt returns for a combined return total of 306 yards, which ranked as the third-highest single-game total in NFL history… Had a 99-yard kickoff return for touchdown at Oakland (9/23), a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Pittsburgh (11/11), and a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown vs. San Francisco (12/30)… Became the franchise career leader in kickoff return yards with 3,255 yards, surpassing Dino Hall (3,185), at New England (10/7)… Late in the fourth quarter at Baltimore (11/18), had a 39-yard kickoff return to the Cleveland 43-yard line and three plays later Phil Dawson tied the game with a 51-yard field goal at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime… In overtime, took the opening kickoff 41 yards to the Cleveland 41-yard line, and nine plays later, Dawson converted a 33-yard field goal for a 33-30 victory… Converted a two-point conversion when he completed a pass to Kellen Winslow in the fourth quarter at Arizona (12/2).
2006: Led the team with 25 special teams tackles… Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance vs. Oakland (10/1) when he returned a pair of kickoffs for a 59.0 yard average… Accounted for his second career kickoff return touchdown with a 92-yard scamper vs. Pittsburgh (11/19)… Made his first career start, as part of a three-wide receiver set, vs. Baltimore (9/24).
2005: Earned a roster spot during training camp as an undrafted rookie… Ranked second on the club with 19 special teams tackles… Returned a kickoff 90 yards vs. Detroit (10/23) for first NFL touchdown… Made NFL debut by playing on special teams vs. Cincinnati (9/11)… Recorded first NFL reception with a seven-yard grab at Oakland (12/18).
College: Collegiate QB-turned-WR, was a four-year starter at Kent State University (2001-04)… Finished career as the school’s all-time total offense leader with 10,839 yards… Rushed and passed for 1,000 yards in three of four seasons and passed for 55 touchdowns and rushed for another 38 touchdowns during his career… Set eight career, four single-season and two single-game school records… Became the second player in NCAA history with 1,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in two seasons… Had 12 career games with 100 or more yards both rushing and passing… Set school career records in pass completions (616), attempts (1,123) and yards (7,169)… Finished as Kent State’s third leading rusher all-time with 3,670 yards and a school-record 38 touchdowns… Scored 41 total touchdowns and 246 points, both of which set school records… Set MAC record for rushing yards by a quarterback… In 2004, completed 216 of 335 passes for 2,215 yards and 17 touchdowns and also ran for 893 yards on 170 attempts (5.3 avg.) and nine touchdowns… Ranked fourth nationally in total offense, averaging 310.8 yards per game… Also punted 10 times for a 29.3-yard average, including a long of 50, and nailed seven inside the 20… In 2003, started all 12 games and set school record with 3,125 yards of total offense… Accounted for 29 touchdowns with 14 passing, 14 rushing and one receiving… Completed 178 of 364 attempts for 2,242 yards, which was the second highest total in school history… Also led the team with 701 yards rushing on 161 carries… In 2002, rushed 137 times for 10 touchdowns and a 7.72-yard average that led the nation… In 2001, took over the starting quarterback duties in the third game of the season and became the first freshman in Division I-A history to run and pass for more than 1,000 yards each in a single season… Was 131 of 238 for 1,516 yards and 10 touchdowns passing and rushed for 1,019 yards on 164 attempts (6.2 avg.) and five touchdowns as a freshman… Runner-up for MAC Freshman of the Year honors to Miami (Ohio) University quarterback Ben Roethlisberger… Graduated with a degree in communications… Had his No. 9 jersey retired by Kent State in 2010, becoming just the fourth player school history to receive the honor.
Personal: Born in Washington, D.C., where he attended Dunbar High School… Led the Crimson Tide to the DCIAA West Division title and the city championship with a 9-3 record… Completed 130 of 277 passes for 2,258 yards as a senior and tossed 23 touchdowns and ran for seven touchdowns… Earned letters in football, baseball, basketball and swimming… Named the 2009 Browns Player of the Year by the local chapter of the PFWA… Named the Browns 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year… Very active in the Cleveland community, volunteering for numerous “Shop with a Pro” and school visits… Also helped renovate Bump Taylor Field as part of the NFL Grassroots Field Renovation… Founded the “Josh’s Cribb” season ticket program which provided tickets, apparel and food for the Center for Families & Children and City Year Cleveland organizations… Named to the 2009 Pink Tie Guy coalition to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure… Started the social web site www.2centsme.com… Serves as the United Way rep for Cleveland… Married (Maria) with a daughter (Kimorah) and a son (Israel).
