Browns fans celebrate 40th anniversary of Dawg Pound

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns hosted the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but fans gathered for more than just the game. 

Ahead of the game fans arrived at Dawg Pound Drive to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

“I had no idea this thing was still going to be here and still going strong today. It was something that we wanted to help our defensive line out because we had two all pro corners and two all pro linebackers, but our defensive line we just wanted to give them that little nudge,” said Hanford Dixon, Browns cornerback from 1981 to 1989 and creator of Dawg Pound. “We were at training camp at Lakeland College and everybody started barking. I’m telling you everybody was a dawg. Not just the defense but everybody, and that thing is still going strong today.” 

Dixon and fellow corner Frank Minnifield came up with backing to fire up their teammates, the fans caught on and started doing it at games, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Browns honored Dixon and other members of the 1985 team in a pregame ceremony.