Earl Little needs to change his name to the Earl The-Little-Engine-Who-Could. Picked up in 1999 off waivers from the New Orleans Saints (before they were any good), Little has managed to battle injury, high draft picks, and adversarial coaching to win the starting free safety slot in 2001. A rookie free agent in 1997 out of the University of Miami, Little comes in a bit light for a run stopping safety, listing at 6'0" and 198 pounds. But the spirited player has earned a fan following for his energetic play and full-steam-ahead tackling.

A broken arm early in the 1999 season ended Little's first season with the Browns. And when he returned in 2000, Palmer and company set him firmly on the bench. The hope was that additional reps would allow the bigger and stronger Marquis Smith to develop into a hard-hitting safety, in the mold of Eric Turner. Instead, Smith spent the 2000 season looking lost.

Enter Butch Davis, who loves his University of Miami guys. Under Butch, Little has won a starting role on the team.