Bob Brown (offensive lineman)

{{for|other gridiron football players of the same name|Bob Brown (disambiguation)#Gridiron football}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Bob Brown

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| number = 76

| position = Offensive tackle

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|12|8}}

| birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|6|16|1941|12|8}}

| death_place = Oakland, California, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 280

| high_school = East Tech
(Cleveland, Ohio)

| college = Nebraska (1961–1963)

| draftyear = 1964

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 2

| afldraftyear = 1964

| afldraftround = 1

| afldraftpick = 4

| pastteams =

Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1964|1968}})
Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|1969|1970}})
Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|1971|1973}})

| highlights =

5× First-team All-Pro (1965, 1966, 1968–1970)
4× Second-team All-Pro (1964, 1967, 1971, 1972)
6× Pro Bowl (1965, 1966, 1968–1971)
NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Unanimous All-American (1963)
2× First-team All-Big Eight (1963, 1964)
Nebraska Cornhuskers No. 64 retired

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 126

| statlabel2 = Games started

| statvalue2 = 124

| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue3 = 2

| pfr = BrowBo03

| HOF = bob-boomer-brown

| CollegeHOF = 1893

}}

Robert Stanford Brown (December 8, 1941 – June 16, 2023), nicknamed "the Boomer",{{cite web |title=Bob 'The Boomer' Brown headed to Canton |url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5582520/ |work=NBC Sports |agency=Associated Press |date=August 4, 2004 |access-date=June 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009074102/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5582520/ |archive-date=October 9, 2012 |url-status=dead }} was an American professional football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1973. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earning unanimous All-American honors. Brown was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the second overall pick in the 1964 NFL draft. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, he played for the Eagles from 1964 to 1968, the Los Angeles Rams from 1969 to 1970, and the Oakland Raiders from 1971 to 1973. Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Early life and college

Brown was born on December 8, 1941, in Cleveland, Ohio, where he later attended East Technical High School.{{cite news|first=Kerith|last=Gabriel|title=Bob Brown, Hall of Famer and former Eagles lineman, dies at 81|date=June 18, 2023|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|url=https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/bob-brown-dead-eagles-hall-of-fame-football-20230617.html|access-date=June 18, 2023}} He was on the football and track teams for three years.{{Cite news |date=October 9, 1961 |title=NU's Tackle Bob Brown Says Brother Is Key to Success |work=Evening World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska0 |pages=13}} Brown was an overweight 280 pounds (127 kg) when he entered high school, and his older brother Ulysses got Brown into shape, enabling him to play football.

Brown attended the University of Nebraska, along with Ulysses, and both were teammates on the football team. Brown was a backup as an offensive lineman and outside linebacker in Bill Jennings' final season as the Cornhuskers' coach in 1961. Brown became a starter in 1962 under coach Bob Devaney. Brown preserved a 36–34 win in the 1962 Gotham Bowl, the program's first bowl win, with an interception in the final minute.

As a senior in 1963, he was a unanimous All-American selection at guard, helping Nebraska win their first conference championship since 1940.{{cite web|title=Bob Brown|publisher=National Football Foundation|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1893|access-date=June 18, 2023}} He also helped Nebraska beat Auburn 13–7 in the 1964 Orange Bowl (played on January 1, 1964), throwing a key block that allowed teammate Dennis Claridge to run 68 yards for a touchdown.{{Cite news |date=January 2, 1964 |title=Top Draft Pick Signed by Eagles |work=The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania) |pages=49}}{{Cite web |title=Orange Bowl - Nebraska vs Auburn Box Score, January 1, 1964 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1964-01-01-auburn.html |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} The Cornhuskers' first Black All-American, Brown was voted the offensive lineman of the year by the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club. He also earned his second consecutive all-conference selection in the Big Eight.{{cite web|first=Sam|last=McKewon|title=Former Nebraska OT Bob Brown, Pro and College Football Hall of Famer, dies at 81|date=June 17, 2023|work=Omaha World-Herald|url=https://omaha.com/sports/huskers/football/former-nebraska-ot-bob-brown-pro-and-college-football-hall-of-famer-dies-at-81/article_d5cca646-1e5f-569e-9475-ea4eaba0cf4e.html|access-date=June 18, 2023|archive-date=June 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618020430/https://omaha.com/sports/huskers/football/former-nebraska-ot-bob-brown-pro-and-college-football-hall-of-famer-dies-at-81/article_d5cca646-1e5f-569e-9475-ea4eaba0cf4e.html|url-status=live}}

Professional career

Brown was selected in the first round of the 1964 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the second overall pick. The contract he signed with the team had a $100,000 signing bonus. After his rookie season in 1964, Brown was named to the NFL All-Rookie team and earned second-team All-Pro honors.{{cite news|title=Ex-NU All-American Brown Plans To Add Weight|date=December 17, 1964|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|page=49|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lincoln-star/126647373/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 18, 2023}} He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1965 and 1966 during his five-season career with the Eagles.{{cite news |title=Bob Brown Now A Happy Man |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jAAUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6039,1431616 |newspaper=The Free Lance-Star |date=May 13, 1969 |access-date=June 4, 2010 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117035232/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jAAUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6039,1431616 |url-status=live }} After playing 50 consecutive games from his rookie year into the 1967 season, Brown suffered a knee injury, but came back and regained his form in 1968, though the Eagles were a poor 2–12 team.{{Cite news |date=May 13, 1969 |title=Brown goes to Los Angeles with Nettles for Three Rams |work=The Sioux City Journal |pages=12}}

During his time with the Eagles, he had been called the top offensive lineman in the NFL, Eagles' coach Joe Kuharich calling him equal to or superior to future Hall of fame tackles Forrest Gregg{{Cite web |title=Forrest Gregg, 1933-2019 {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2019/04/forrest-gregg-1933-2019/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=pfhof |language=en}} and Jim Parker;{{Cite web |title=Jim Parker {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/jim-parker/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=pfhof |language=en}} but in 1969 he demanded that Eagles general manager Pete Retzlaff trade him.{{Cite news |date=August 30, 1966 |title=Eagles' Destructive Bob Brown Wants to Be League's Best Offensive Tackle |work=The Sioux City Journal |pages=41}} After asking for a trade from the Eagles, Brown was sent to the Los Angeles Rams in a five-player exchange on May 12, 1969. The Eagles traded Brown, along with cornerback Jim Nettles, to the Rams in exchange for offensive tackle Joe Carollo, guard Don Chuy, and defensive back Irv Cross. Ram's future Hall of fame head coach George Allen{{Cite web |title=George Allen {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/george-allen/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=pfhof |language=en}} called Brown "the finest offensive lineman in pro football".{{Cite news |date=May 13, 1969 |title=LA's Allen Satisfied with Trade |work=The Sioux City Journal |pages=12}} In a SPORT magazine poll of over 1,000 players before the 1970 season, Brown was selected as the National Football Conference's top offensive lineman.{{Cite news |date=August 20, 1970 |title=Rams gain nod for Super Bowl |work=The Pocono Record |pages=15}} Brown played two All Pro and Pro Bowl seasons for the Rams in 1969-70.{{Cite web |title=Bob Brown Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowBo03.htm |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

Brown was traded by the Rams to the Oakland Raiders, along with two draft picks, in exchange for offensive tackle Harry Schuh and cornerback Kent McCloughan on June 23, 1971.{{cite news |title=Rams Trade Bob Brown to Oakland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post/126638825/ |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post |agency=AP|date=June 24, 1971 |page=C1|access-date=June 18, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}} Raiders' future Hall of fame coach John Madden{{Cite web |title=John Madden {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/john-madden/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=pfhof |language=en}} called Brown "probably the best tackle in football".{{Cite news |date=August 28, 1971 |title=A Glance At Raiders |work=The Baltimore Sun |pages=23}} He played three seasons for the Raiders, teaming on the offensive line with fellow future Pro Football Hall of famers Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, and Jim Otto. During the 1971 season, another eventual Hall of famer, Ron Mix played his final pro season as Brown's backup at right tackle.{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Ellenport|title=Unparalleled Line|date=July 24, 2004|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2004/07/news-unparalleled-line/|access-date=June 18, 2023|archive-date=May 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527125629/https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2004/07/news-unparalleled-line/|url-status=live}} Hall of Fame Kansas City Chief middle linebacker Willie Lanier had particular respect for Brown, among all the great offensive lineman that played for the Oakland Raiders.{{Cite web |title=Behind the Bronze: Willie Lanier {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2010/10/news-behind-the-bronze-willie-lanier/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=pfhof |language=en}}

He also had a reputation as the meanest lineman.{{Cite news |last=Forbes |first=Gordon |date=October 20, 1967 |title=Brown vs. Robb: It's War |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |pages=41}}{{Cite news |last=Shefski |first=Bill |date=January 25, 1967 |title=Plumb Out Of Sundays |work=Philadelphia Daily News |pages=47}} Brown said his game was predicated on inflicting more pain on the defensive lineman than would be inflicted on him. "'The guy who wins is the one who inflicts more pain. I try to drive out his intestinal fortitude. Then he's mine.'" {{Cite news |last=Shefski |first=Bill |date=July 25, 1968 |title=Brown: 'Ripup' Ready for New Tear |work=Philadelphia Daily News |pages=50}} When the head slap was still a legal maneuver for defensive lineman to use against offensive lineman, Brown would reverse the screws in his helmet, with the pointed ends facing out, and sharpen them.{{Cite news |date=December 4, 1988 |title=Cheating in the NFL |work=The Des Moines Register |pages=41}} He was known for the exceptional force with which he delivered the "ripup" move, where an offensive lineman would drive his fists into the oncoming pass rushing defender's chest, with Brown sometimes lifting the defensive ends off their feet.

Brown was named a first-team All-Pro during five of his ten NFL seasons. Named the NFL/NFC offensive lineman of the year three times,{{cite journal|title=Bob Brown|journal=The Coffin Corner|volume=26|issue=3|year=2004|url=https://profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/26-03-1025.pdf|access-date=June 18, 2023|archive-date=May 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531051406/https://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/26-03-1025.pdf|url-status=live}} Brown was also selected to the Pro Bowl six times: thrice with the Eagles, twice with the Rams, and once with the Raiders.{{cite web|title=Bob Brown|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-boomer-brown|access-date=June 18, 2023|archive-date=February 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207080753/https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-boomer-brown/|url-status=live}}

Awards and honors

In 1993, Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=Bob Brown, College Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/bob-brown-1993/ |website=cfbhall.com}} A member of the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Brown's No. 64 was retired by the University of Nebraska in 2004.{{cite web |author=Kaipust, Rich |title=Plans announced to celebrate Nebraska's NCAA-record sellout streak when it reaches 300 |url=http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2009/07/01/sports/huskers_hq/doc4a499c6abffa7064437025.txt |work=The Grand Island Independent |date=July 1, 2009 |access-date=June 4, 2010}}

Personal life and death

Brown was married to Cecelia and had a son, Robert Jr. His son was his presenter at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Brown had a stroke in April 2023. Afterwards, he lived in a rehabilitation center in Oakland, California, where he died on June 16, 2023, at the age of 81.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37870033/hall-fame-offensive-lineman-bob-brown-dies-81|publisher=ESPN|title=Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bob Brown dies at 81|date=June 17, 2023}}{{cite news|title=Bob Brown, Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle, dead at 81|url=https://nypost.com/2023/06/17/bob-brown-pro-football-hall-of-famer-dead-at-81/|work=New York Post|date=June 17, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023}}

References

External links

{{Profootballhof|id=32|name=Bob Brown}}
{{cfbhof|id=1893|name=Bob Brown}}
[https://www.profootballresearchers.com/coffin-corner-2004.html Bob Brown] at [https://www.profootballresearchers.com/ Professional Football Researchers Association], Coffin Corner Vol. 26(3) (2004)