Barbara Byrd-Bennett, head of Cleveland schools, announced yesterday the Browns are donating $300,000 to help fund the football programs of nine schools -- Collinwood, East High, East Tech, Cleveland South, Glenville, Lincoln-West, James F. Rhodes, John F. Kennedy and John Marshall.

The $300,000 is the largest single contribution to the school district's athletic program by a professional sports organization. The money will be used for coaches' salaries, transportation, physical examinations and field maintenance.

''It was literally fourth down and in the final seconds,'' Byrd-Bennett said after a press conference in the fieldhouse of the Browns training complex in Berea. ''They saved us.''

Football and all extracurricular activities in Cleveland schools are in danger of being eliminated because of failed school levies. Byrd-Bennett recently approached Jacquelyn Nance, President of the Cleveland Browns Foundation, asking for help. Nance talked it over with Browns owner Randy Lerner and team president John Collins. Nance said they quickly said Ôyes' and pledged the money to keep football going. Byrd-Bennett said studies show sports keep students in school. In Cleveland, athletes must maintain a 2.0 average and cannot be failing a subject to remain eligible.

Players from every team the Browns are helping attended the press conference and sat in bleachers behind the dais. Several Browns players sat with the young athletes, among them Dennis Northcutt, Daylon McCutcheon, Terrelle Smith and Enoch DeMar. Someday maybe, said Northcutt, the stars of Glenville, Collinwood and the rest could be stars of the NFL.

''I can absolutely say that without football in high school I don't know where I'd be,'' said Northcutt, who grew up in a Los Angeles ghetto and saw close up what gang life was like. ''I found something in my life that was more important than hanging out in the streets.

''Not every high school player is going to be a pro, but I would never tell a high school player that. Football can open doors, whether it's a college scholarship so you could earn a degree or help get you a job.''

In addition to the money donated by the Browns, the National Football League is donating $200,000 through its youth football fund to repair one of the city's football fields. Earlier this year, the Indians donated $250,000 to preserve high school baseball for the city schools.

NHBrowns@sbcglobal.net