Willie Brown (football player)
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| Willie Brown | |
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| Date of birth | December 2, 1940 (age 66) |
| Place of birth |  Yazoo City, Mississippi |
| Position(s) | Cornerback |
| College | Grambling |
| Career Highlights | |
| Pro Bowls | AFL All-Star 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, NFL Pro Bowl 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 |
| Honors | NFL 1970s All-Decade Team AFL All-Time Team |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1963-1966 1967-1969 1970-1978 |
AFL Denver Broncos AFL Oakland Raiders NFL Oakland Raiders |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1984 | |
William Ferdie Brown (Born December 2, 1940, in Yazoo City, Mississippi) is a retired American Football cornerback and is currently on the staff of the Oakland Raiders.
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[edit] Playing career
Willie Brown played collegiate football at Grambling University and was not drafted by any professional team after leaving school in 1963. He was signed by the Houston Oilers of the AFL but was cut from the team during training camp.
He was then signed by the Denver Broncos and became a starter by the middle of his rookie season. He won All-AFL honors in his second season and played in the AFL All-Star Game, recording 9 interceptions for 144 yards.
In 1967, Brown was traded to the AFL's Oakland Raiders and would spend the remainder of his career there. He served as defensive captain for 10 of his 12 years with the team. Starting in 1967, he was also named to nine AFL or NFL All-Star squads: from 1964 through 1969 in the AFL (missing only 1966); and four straight Pro Bowls in the NFL, 1970 through 1973.
Perhaps Brown's most memorable moment as a Raider came during Super Bowl XI, when he intercepted a Fran Tarkenton pass and returned it a Super Bowl-record 75 yards for a touchdown. His record would stand for 29 years until it was broken by Kelly Herndon's 76-yard interception return in Super Bowl XL.
Willie Brown retired after the 1978 season, and finished his Raiders career with 39 interceptions, tied for first all-time on the team. Overall, he finished his 16 AFL/NFL seasons with 54 interceptions, which he returned for 472 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also recovered 3 fumbles.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 28, 1984, his first year of eligibility, and is a member of the American Football League All-Time Team. In 1999, he was ranked number 50 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranking Raider player.
[edit] Coaching career
Brown served as a defensive backfield coach for the Raiders from 1979-88. He also had stints as the head at Long Beach State in 1991 and L.A. Jordan High School in 1994. In 1995 he returned to the Raiders as the Director of Staff Development.
[edit] Awards
- All-AFL Team (1964)
- Five AFL All-Star Games (1964-65, 1967-69)
- Named to the All-Time AFL Team in 1969
- Four NFL Pro Bowls (1970-73)
- Named to the AFL-NFL 25-year All-Star team
- Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984
- Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1992
- Inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1994
[edit] Records
- Previously held Super Bowl record for longest interception (75 yards, Super Bowl XI), now held by Seattle Seahawks Cornerback Kelly Herndon (76 yards, Super Bowl XL)
- Oakland Raiders franchise leader for interceptions (39, t-1st)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Site of Willie Brown
- Entry at the Pro Football Hall of Fame [1]
- Brown's 1965 Topps football card
- Full roster of all American Football League players 1960 - 1969
| American Football League | All-Time Team |
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|
Joe Namath | Clem Daniels | Paul Lowe | Lance Alworth | Cookie Gilchrist* | Don Maynard | Fred Arbanas | Jim Otto | Ed Budde | Billy Shaw | Ron Mix | Jim Tyrer | George Blanda | Nick Buoniconti | Bobby Bell | George Webster | Johnny Robinson | George Saimes | Willie Brown | Dave Grayson | Houston Antwine | Tom Sestak | Jerry Mays | Gerry Philbin | Jerrel Wilson | |
| National Football League | NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team |
|---|
|
Terry Bradshaw | Ken Stabler | Roger Staubach | Earl Campbell | Franco Harris | Walter Payton | O.J. Simpson | Harold Carmichael | |
Categories: 1940 births | Living people | Pro Football Hall of Fame | People from Yazoo City, Mississippi | American football cornerbacks | Grambling Tigers football players | Denver Broncos (AFL) players | Oakland Raiders (AFL) players | Oakland Raiders | American Conference Pro Bowl players | NFL 1970s All-Decade Team | AFL All-Star players
