A collector from Youngstown, OH is in the running to be added to the Hall of Fans at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Ray “Showdawg” Prisby is one of the country’s top collectors of Cleveland Browns memorabilia. He’s one of six finalists for the honor.
He collected football cards as a kid but it wasn’t until he began attending sports memorabilia shows as an adult that he got hooked on collecting. He owns thousands of items including an entire room dedicated to Jim Brown, who paid a visit to see it for himself.
Legendary HOFer Jim Brown heads to Cleveland to surprise superfan Ray “Showdog” Prisby. His reaction was priceless 🐐
From B/R x @Ford #PFHOF pic.twitter.com/b60gpi4Imx
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 13, 2020
Prisby worked at General Motors and also spent 11 years in the Air Force, but now that he’s retired, he has plenty of time to devote to the collection. It’s part of what helped lead to the nomination for the Hall of Fans.
He collects everything Browns related, from vintage and modern bobbleheads to programs to stuff that’s a little harder to find. While the franchise hasn’t had a lot of success lately, he says he collects items from all eras because they help tell the story of the team’s history.
“You kind of go through phases and right now I’m in to the game-used jerseys, helmets and cleats and any part of the uniform that’s game-used,” he told WKBN-TV, which stopped by to get a look at his collection.
The video below is a must watch.
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