Professional Career
Adamle was eligible to play for the Buckeyes again in 1947, but decided to drop out of school and join the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Adamle had been selected with the 105th pick in the 1947 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He told Cleveland head coach Paul Brown, who coached Ohio State's varsity team between 1941 and 1943, that he would join the Bears if the Browns did not sign him. "I would be a pretty sick fellow today, knowing what I do about Tony, if George Halas had gotten him," Brown said before the season began.
Adamle's decision to drop out was controversial because of rules that under normal circumstances would have barred him from playing professionally before graduating. The interruption of the war had forced the suspension of the rule to account for players' military service, however, and he was allowed to leave college. The Browns denied that they encouraged Adamle to drop out. Adamle may have been convinced to join the Browns by Gene Fekete, Dante Lavelli, Lou Groza and Bill Willis, four Browns players who were back at Ohio State to finish their studies after the 1946 season.
With the Browns, Adamle played at first as a fullback. He competed with Marion Motley at the position, and said he was "not working to be a second-stringer". Adamle was a straight-talker and was not afraid to stand up to Brown, a cold disciplinarian. Brown was impressed with Adamle's candor and held him in respect. Before a game against the Chicago Rockets in October 1947, Adamle replaced Motley as the team's starting fullback. Brown said that while he had not given up on Motley, the former starter had "made a few mistakes lately that hurt us" and thought competition would be helpful. Behind a strong offense led by quarterback Otto Graham, the Browns went on to finish the 1947 season with a 12–1–1 record and win the AAFC championship game against the New York Yankees. Adamle returned to Ohio State in the offseason to continue his studies.
By the following year, Adamle was being used mostly on defense as a left-side linebacker, and Motley was again the team's primary fullback. Cleveland had a perfect season in 1948, winning all of its games and beating the Buffalo Bills in the championship. Adamle filled in for an injured Motley at fullback for several games the following year while continuing to play as a linebacker. Cleveland again won the AAFC championship in 1949, but the league then folded and the Browns were absorbed by the more established NFL.
Cleveland's success continued in the NFL as Adamle was named team captain, replacing Lou Saban following his retirement. The team won the 1950 NFL Championship Game, and Adamale was one of seven Browns players chosen to play in the first Pro Bowl, football's all-star game. Adamle was again chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1951, when the Browns reached the championship game but lost to the Los Angeles Rams. He was also named a consensus first-team All-Pro by sportswriters after the season. Adamle finished college at Kent State University in 1950, earning a bachelor's degree, and received a master's degree in education from Western Reserve University in Cleveland in 1951.
Upset by Brown's criticisms of the defense in the 1951 championship game, Adamle left the Browns before the next season to enter medical school. Brown nevertheless traded the rights to Adamle to the Green Bay Packers as part of a deal that brought defensive back Ace Loomis to Cleveland. "We know Adamle is determined to enter medical school and informed the Packers it is very unlikely he would play any more football," Brown said. The Packers hoped to get him to play part-time while he was in school. Adamle spent most of 1952 working as an orderly at Glenville Hospital in Cleveland, entering Western Reserve's medical school in September.
Adamle came out of retirement to play for the Browns at 30 years old in October of 1954. He had been working as a scout for the Chicago Cardinals and was in his third year of medical school; he agreed to come back on the condition that he would only practice once a week so he could continue his studies. Cleveland reached the championship game and beat the Detroit Lions, 56–10.
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