Bob Brown, renowned as one of the NFL’s most intimidating and aggressive offensive tackles of his time, passed away on June 16 in Oakland, Calif., at the age of 81. Brown, who retired in 1973, had to wait over 30 years to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
According to his son, Robert Jr., Brown’s death at a rehabilitation facility was due to complications from a stroke he suffered in April.
At 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, Brown possessed both power and agility. Throughout his 10-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Oakland Raiders, he excelled in both protecting his quarterback and leading the blocking for his running backs.
Brown approached line play as a relentless four-quarter battle, using tactics like deploying his forearms as weapons or targeting vulnerable areas on his opponents. As he once revealed to NFL Films, he aimed to win at all costs.
NFL Films described Brown in dramatic fashion, stating, “He didn’t just block people, he buried them.”
During a practice with the Rams, Brown grew tired of a disorienting technique used by the defensive end Deacon Jones, who repeatedly slapped the sides of Brown’s helmet. In response, Brown replaced a screw in his helmet’s face mask with a longer one filed to a sharp point. As a result, Jones impaled his hand on the screw during the next practice and required a tetanus shot.
Reflecting on his career in 2004, Brown stated, “I had two options: I could either be the beater or the beatee. I preferred the role of the beater.” His aggressive approach paid off, as he intimidated future Hall of Famers and received numerous accolades, including five first-team All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl invitations. He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team of the 1960s.
Robert Stanford Brown was born on December 8, 1941, in Cleveland. His father, Ulysses, owned a grocery store, and his mother, Beatrice (Lumpkin) Brown, was a homemaker who also assisted at the store.
Brown began playing football in junior high school and was recruited by the University of Nebraska as a senior at East Technical High School. He played offensive guard and linebacker for the Cornhuskers, earning the distinction of being the first Black all-American in Nebraska’s football history during his senior year in 1963.
Selected in the first round of the 1964 NFL draft by the Eagles, Brown quickly established himself as a top offensive lineman under the guidance of defensive line coach Dick Stanfel. However, after five years, he requested a trade due to dissatisfaction with the team’s new general manager.
In 1969, Brown joined the Rams, where the team had a successful season but fell short in the Western Conference championship game. He was later traded to the Raiders in 1971, joining an elite offensive line consisting of four other Hall of Famers. John Madden, the Raiders’ coach at the time, vividly recalled Brown’s impressive display of strength during training camp.
Despite injuries limiting his playing time in his final season, Brown’s career left a lasting impact. Following his retirement, he dedicated his time to restoring classic and muscle cars. He is survived by his wife, Cecilia (Grier) Brown, and a granddaughter.
Despite waiting 31 years for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Brown expressed acceptance, stating, “After a decade or so, I finally let it go.” At his induction in 2004, he reflected on his rough encounters with Deacon Jones during practice, expressing gratitude for the battles that ultimately paved the way for his enshrinement.
As he addressed his teammates, including Jones, he humorously remarked, “I love you for it, but Deac, did you have to be so rough?”
“I was disappointed after the first five years out of ball. I thought I’d have been nominated and elected after that long. But it didn’t happen,” Brown expressed to The Lincoln Journal Star of Nebraska in 2004. He continued, “After a decade or so, I finally let it go.”
At the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2004, Brown acknowledged his teammates and the fierce battles in practice that contributed to his delayed but well-deserved enshrinement.
He humorously said, “I love you for it, but Deac, did you have to be so rough?”
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