Bob Brown, considered one of the most intimidating and offensive tackles in the NFL at the time, had to wait more than 30 years between his retirement in 1973 and his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Died on the 16th. Oakland, California, he was 81 years old.
His son, Robert Jr., said the cause of death was complications from a stroke Brown suffered in April at a rehab facility.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 280 pounds, Brown was a combination of strength and agility. During his 10-year career with TPhiladelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Oakland Raidershe was as adept at guarding quarterbacks as he was at leading blocking running backs.
He sees line play as a four-quarter battle in which he will do virtually anything to win, deploying his forearms as weapons or sticking his thick thumbs into “really meaty nice parts” of his opponent’s body. I took every possible means. After the pads are finished, he once told NFL Films.
“He didn’t just block people,” the NFL movie’s narrator said dramatically. “He buried them.”
One day, during a practice session with the Rams, Brown got tired of being hit on the side of his helmet by a defensive end. deacon jones — A tactic used by Jones to disorient opposing linemen and keep them out of the way. So Brown removed the screws from the helmet’s facemask and replaced them with long screws that were filed to a sharp tip. At the next practice, Jones stuck his left hand in a screw, requiring a tetanus shot.
“I had two choices” Brown told the Associated Press. Looking back on his career in 2004. “I can go out and be really good and be the beaten guy, or I can be the very mediocre or mediocre and be the beaten person. was.”
His approach worked. Brown intimidated future Hall of Famers like Mean Joe Green of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Herb Adderley of the Green Bay Packers. He was named to the All-Pro Top Team five times and was named to the Pro Bowl six times.Pro Football Hall of Fame elected him 1960s All-Decade Team.
Robert Stanford Brown was born on December 8, 1941 in Cleveland. His father, Ulysses, owned a grocery store. His mother, Beatrice (Lumpkin) Brown, was a housewife and helped in the shop.
Robert started playing soccer in middle school. As a senior at East Technical High School, he was scouted to the University of Nebraska, where he played as an offensive guard and linebacker.
In 1963, his fourth season with the Cornhuskers, Brown had the national consensus as an offensive guard. He became the first black All-American in Nebraska football history.
Brown was selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 1964 NFL Draft. He was mentored by the team’s defensive line coach Dick Stumpel and quickly established himself as one of the league’s top offensive linemen. But five years later, he was dissatisfied with the Eagles’ hiring of new GM Pete Retzlaff and demanded a trade.
He was sent to the Rams before the 1969 season, during which time the team went 11-3. However, they lost 23-20 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Western Conference championship game. The Vikings recorded a safety in the fourth quarter before future Minnesota Hall of Fame defensive end Karl Eller beat Brown in the end zone and fired Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel.
In 1971, Brown was traded again, this time to the Raiders, where he joined an offense that included four future Hall of Famers Art Schell, Gene Upshaw, Jim Otto and Ron Mix. . John Madden, who coached the Raiders from 1969 to 1978, recalled the first impression Brown made on his new teammates at training camp.
“He hits the goal post with his forearm. A crack! And the whole goal post goes straight down. All the players are like that,” Madden told NFL Films, opening his mouth to explain their reaction. He opened his eyes wide and spoke. Then, “he turned around and walked off the field,” he added.
Injuries limited Brown’s playing time in the 1973 season, making just eight starts and two more. His career ended after three years with the Raiders. Over the next half-century, he spent most of his time restoring classic and muscle cars.
Brown’s survivors include his son, wife Cecilia (Gria) Brown, and granddaughter.
Despite racking up accolades during his football career, Brown had to wait 31 years before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“It was disappointing because I stayed away from the ball for the first five years. I thought after all that time I would be nominated and elected. But it didn’t happen,” he said in 2004 of Nebraska. told the Lincoln Journal Star. He added, “After about ten years, I was finally able to let it go.”
At the 2004 Hall of Fame induction in Canton, Ohio, he spoke about his teammates, including Deacon Jones, and the practice battles that led to his belated accession.
“I love you,” he said. “But Diak, did you really need to be so violent?”
