Browns defensive tackle Warren warned by NFL about hitting Ben



Warren said that Ben Roethlisberger's confidence needs to be shaken.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The NFL warned Browns defensive tackle Gerard Warren for comments he made about trying to hit Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the head in Sunday's game.
"We notified the team, including Gerard Warren, that if a player commits a flagrant foul after making such a statement, it may be a decisive factor supporting the suspension of the player, depending on the entire set of circumstances," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
Warren told reporters Thursday that the Browns needed to rattle Roethlisberger.
"One rule they used to tell me: Kill the head and the body's dead," Warren said.
He said if the Browns can shake the confidence in Pittsburgh's rookie, they might be able to stun the Steelers.
"I didn't say knock him out of the game, I said just go across his head a time or two," said Warren, who was fined $35,000 in his rookie season for a cheap shot on former Jacksonville quarterback Mark Brunell.
Asked if Warren's history factored into the warning, Aiello said: "It's standard procedure if comments of that nature are made."
Browns to honor former player
The Browns will pay tribute Sunday to a former player who died in the Vietnam War and has gone unrecognized by the NFL for decades.
It has long been reported that Bob Kalsu, a Buffalo Bills lineman, was the only former NFL player killed while serving in Vietnam.
But it recently came to the attention of the Pro Football Hall of Fame that Air Force Maj. Don Steinbrunner died in Vietnam in 1967. He was a rookie offensive tackle with the Browns in 1953.
Steinbrunner joined the Air Force ROTC while at Washington State University, and was called to active duty after his rookie season.
After a two-year tour as a navigator, Steinbrunner opted to pursue a military career rather than return to the Browns. He remained in the Air Force for the next 13 years, including four years as a coach at the Air Force Academy.
Shot down
Steinbrunner, a navigator with the 12th Air Command Squadron, was called to serve in Vietnam in 1966, and was shot down over Kontum Province, South Vietnam on July 20, 1967.
The Browns were asking all military veterans to come to Sunday's game against Pittsburgh in uniform.
Steinbrunner will be represented at the game by his widow, Meredyth, and their three children.
"I cannot explain to you what a thrill this is for me and my family," Meredyth said. "We are so honored to have this wonderful event in honor of Don."
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