Roger Brown

Roger Lee Brown (May 1, 1937 – September 17, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions (1960–1966) and the Los Angeles Rams (1967–1969). He played college football for the Maryland State Hawks.

Brown was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl game every year for six successive seasons, running from 1962 through 1967.

Early life Brown was born on May 1, 1937, in Surry County, Virginia, and grew up in Newport News, Virginia, and the Village of Nyack, in Rockland County, New York. He went to Nyack High School where he was an "unstoppable 245-pound fullback" on the school's football team, graduating in 1956. Brown led the Rockland Public Schools Athletic League in scoring in 1954 and 1955. He was first-team All-County in football two consecutive years. He was also a champion wrestler and discus thrower. He was elected to the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.

College

Football He played college football for the Maryland State College Hawks (now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore) for four years, from 1956-1959, where he was an industrial arts major. He played for College Football Hall of Fame coach Vernon "Skip" McCain. Brown was a defensive lineman. Over his four years, the Hawks had a 24-5-1 record, kept opposing teams to an average 7.3 points per game, and outscored opponents 693 to 213. He was one of only four players who played outside of the major college football conferences to start in the game. The Colts won 29-0, in a game in which collegian Don Brown of the Houston Cougars (who would go on to play for the first Houston Oilers team) was nearly killed when notoriously violent Colts linebacker Bill Pellington hit him so hard that Brown swallowed his tongue and stopped breathing. He was saved by the frantic intervention of doctors and trainers. On the other hand, Colts offensive lineman Alex Sandusky encouraged Roger Brown throughout the game, and gave him guidance on how to correct his mistakes. During his school days at UMES, Brown worked as a DJ at an AM radio station in Salisbury, Maryland, the largest city on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where he was known as the "Big Nyack". He began at WICO AM and then went to WJDY. He had also been involved with a group creating an unauthorized radio broadcast at UMES, using a transmitter they built themselves. College officials shut it down. He played right tackle with the original Lion's Fearsome Foursome, with future Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle Alex Karras, and defensive ends Sam Williams and Darris McCord. ).

Brown was named the NFL's 1962 Outstanding Defensive Lineman. seven times (the team had 11), including once for a safety. Brown was the outstanding player in a game where the Lions ended the NFL's reigning champions 12 game winning streak. The two safeties in a single season tied an individual NFL record, first set in 1932.

He played for the Lions through the 1966 season, then was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he played form 1967-1969. along with defensive end Lamar Lundy, formed a Rams "Fearsome Foursome", The original Rams fearsome foursome of the mid-1960s had included Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier at tackle, whom Brown replaced.

The term "fearsome foursome" had not only been used for the Lions' line of the early 1960s, and the two Rams' defensive lines, but had also be used for the defensive lines of the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts of the late 1950s, and the San Diego Chargers of the early 1960s. Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009, and into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2019, he was selected at No. 19 on the Detroit Free Press ranking of the Detroit Lions' top 100 all-time players. He was chosen for the team's 75th Anniversary Team in 2008.

Personal life

After his playing career was over, Brown went into the restaurant business. the MoMac Brewing Company in Portsmouth, and the Cove Taverns in Williamsburg, and Newport News, Virginia. He was active in the Hampton Roads community, serving on 14 various local boards and committees. He was very involved with Portsmouth's Chamber of Commerce, its Olde Town Merchants Association, and Ronald McDonalds Charities.

Death Brown died on September 17, 2021. He was 84 years old.