Vince Costello, the linebacker of the Cleveland Browns, was honored with a new statue in Magnolia on 8 June. Canton artist Patrick Buckohr erected the statue on the corner of the Basin and Carrollton streets, outside of the Vince Costello Memorial Sports Complex. 

Costello, a former quarterback at Magnolia High School's six-man team, played baseball and football at Magnolia University. He also pursued a professional baseball career before landing in Cleveland in 1957, when he was 25 years old.

Costello had a decade-long journey with the Browns from 1957 to 1966. He played 130 games, registered 18 interceptions, scored two defensive touchdowns, and recovered eight fumbles. He was also a part of the Browns’ last championship team in 1964. 

Per Charitha Goshay of the CantonRep.com, Costello was known as “The Pride of Magnolia” and was born in Dellroy in 1932.

After his time in Cleveland, Costello landed in New York. He played on the Giants' roster from 1967 to 1968 and retired from his NFL career in 1968. 

 The idea to honor Costello in this manner was first initiated by the late Donald Del Dorso, who approached the Magnolia Area Historical Society in 2022.

After retiring as a player, Costello remained in football as a coach.

Following his career as an NFL player, Costello returned to the league in a new role as the linebackers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals under his former coach, Paul Brown, from 1969 to 1973.

Costello then became the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins in 1974 and held the same position under former Browns teammate Paul Wiggin with the Kansas City Chiefs for their1975 and 1976 seasons. 

He found a spot on the inaugural Hall of Fame class of Stark County High School in 2002 and the Cleveland Browns Legends Program in 2011. He passed away in June 2019 at 86 years old, as reported on clevelandbrowns.com.

Costello Family’s Reaction to His Statue

Goshay reported that the project was a community effort by the Magnolia Area Historical Society and was funded by over 100 donors. Vince Costello’s nephew, Tim Costello, shared the Costello family’s reaction to the statue. 

“The family is thrilled,” said the nephew. “They’re really proud of him. He was great for Magnolia and great for football. He was more than just a football player, but I think it really depicts him well. It’s close to the Historical Society, so it’s a really good fit.”

The statue created by Buckohr depicts Costello intercepting a pass during the 1964 Championship game with the Browns. The nephew appreciated the artist for choosing a good pose.

“They were trying to find the right pose,” said Tim. “When (Vince) was in Magnolia, he played quarterback. In the NFL, he didn’t really carry the ball; he was a defensive guy.”

Tim concluded by saying that he found it interesting that they took the picture from when he was intercepting a ball in the 1964 Championship against the Colts.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi