Preston Carpenter, the Cleveland Browns' first pick in the 1956 draft who moved to wide receiver when the Browns drafted Jim Brown, died Thursday at age 77, the *Arkansas News* reported.
The 12-year veteran spent the first four seasons of his career in Cleveland, rushing for 756 yards in his first season. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (where he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1963), Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings before finishing his career with the Miami Dolphins in 1967.
Carpenter lettered at Arkansas from 1953-55. He is remembered for "The Powder River Play" -- a 66-yard halfback pass from Buddy Bob Benson for a touchdown and the team's only score in a 6-0 win against fifth-ranked Ole Miss in the 1954 Southwest Conference title game. Benson died in April.
"He loved the University of Arkansas," Harold Horton, executive director of the Razorback Foundation, told the News. "He loved coming back to our reunions in the spring. He enjoyed being in the lettermen's room prior to games. He was the life of the group. Wherever he was, he just added to where he was. People enjoyed being around him."
Carpenter's brother, Lew, spent 10 years in the NFL, beginning in 1953 with the Detroit Lions. The brothers both played for the Browns in the 1957-58 seasons. Lew Carpenter died at age 78 in 2010.
