Larry Brown (running back)
Encyclopedia
Lawrence "Larry" Brown, Jr. (born September 19, 1947 in Clairton
, Pennsylvania
) is a former professional American football
player in the National Football League
(NFL) who played running back
for the Washington Redskins
from 1969 to 1976.
Raised in nearby Pittsburgh
, he attended Schenley High School
, Dodge City Community College
, and Kansas State University
, his original interest being in baseball. He later developed an overriding interest in football.
.
In 1969, newly arrived Redskins coach Vince Lombardi
noticed that Brown, a talented but underperforming running back, was starting slightly late behind the snap of the ball. Tests ordered by Lombardi determined that Brown was hearing-impaired in one ear, and that he was watching for the lineman to move rather than listening to the quarterback's snap count. Lombardi had Brown's helmet fitted with an ear-piece that relayed quarterback Sonny Jurgensen
's snap counts, improving Brown's responsiveness, thus allowing him to hit the hole very quickly.
He went to four consecutive Pro Bowl
s during his first four seasons and led the Redskins to their 1973 Super Bowl VII
appearance against the "perfect season" Miami Dolphins
. Brown was the National Football League
's Most Valuable Player in 1972.
He finished in the top five of the league for rushes five times, rushing yards three times, yards from scrimmage three times and total touchdowns twice. Brown was the first Redskins running back to gain more than 1,000 yards in a single season. He achieved that feat twice in a career that ran from 1969 to 1976. In an eight year career, Brown was selected to play in the Pro Bowl in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972. He has been voted one of the 70 Greatest Redskins of All Time. He was selected as the Washington, DC Touchdown Club Player of the Year in 1972.
Brown carried the ball 1,530 times in his career gaining 5,875 yards. His best seasons were in 1972 when he gained 1,216 yards and in 1970 when he gained 1,125 yards. He rushed for 100 yards or more 21 times and rushed for 100 yards or more in six games in 1970 and six games in 1972. He also scored four rushing touchdowns in one game against the Eagles on December 16, 1973. . On October 29, 1972, he ran for 190 yards in a game against the New York Giants.
Brown's career was cut short due to numerous injuries.
For 12 years, Brown was employed by Xerox Corporation with responsibilities for business and community relations.
He has served on the Board of Directors of Mellon Bank(MD), the Board of Visitors of George Mason University
, the Board of Associates of Galludet University the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington,DC Sports Authority, and a Delegate to Japan
with the American Council of Young Political Leaders.
the National Council on Disability
, Friends of the National Zoo Advisory Committee, the Coalition for the Homeless,the Capital Children's Museum, and the Washington Redskins
Charity Golf Classic.
He makes regular appreances at Redskin's alumni events.
Clairton, Pennsylvania
Clairton is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. The population was 6,796 at the 2010 census. Under Pennsylvania legal classifications for local governments, Clairton is considered a third-class city...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
) is a former professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) who played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
from 1969 to 1976.
Raised in nearby Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, he attended Schenley High School
Schenley High School
Schenley High School is both a public school building and a school program that closed with the graduating class of 2011. Schenley High School is located in the North Oakland neighborhood at the edge of the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2008 the school's staff and...
, Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College is located on the Central High Plains in Ford County, southwest Kansas.-Campus:For 22 years, the College was located on the third floor of the Senior High School Building at 1601 First Avenue. By 1957, it had grown large enough to require a move to a different...
, and Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, his original interest being in baseball. He later developed an overriding interest in football.
Professional career
Brown's eight-year professional career was spent exclusively with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
In 1969, newly arrived Redskins coach Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
noticed that Brown, a talented but underperforming running back, was starting slightly late behind the snap of the ball. Tests ordered by Lombardi determined that Brown was hearing-impaired in one ear, and that he was watching for the lineman to move rather than listening to the quarterback's snap count. Lombardi had Brown's helmet fitted with an ear-piece that relayed quarterback Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
's snap counts, improving Brown's responsiveness, thus allowing him to hit the hole very quickly.
He went to four consecutive Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s during his first four seasons and led the Redskins to their 1973 Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
appearance against the "perfect season" Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Brown was the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Most Valuable Player in 1972.
He finished in the top five of the league for rushes five times, rushing yards three times, yards from scrimmage three times and total touchdowns twice. Brown was the first Redskins running back to gain more than 1,000 yards in a single season. He achieved that feat twice in a career that ran from 1969 to 1976. In an eight year career, Brown was selected to play in the Pro Bowl in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972. He has been voted one of the 70 Greatest Redskins of All Time. He was selected as the Washington, DC Touchdown Club Player of the Year in 1972.
Brown carried the ball 1,530 times in his career gaining 5,875 yards. His best seasons were in 1972 when he gained 1,216 yards and in 1970 when he gained 1,125 yards. He rushed for 100 yards or more 21 times and rushed for 100 yards or more in six games in 1970 and six games in 1972. He also scored four rushing touchdowns in one game against the Eagles on December 16, 1973. . On October 29, 1972, he ran for 190 yards in a game against the New York Giants.
Brown's career was cut short due to numerous injuries.
Post Football Career
Brown is currently a Vice President of NAI Michael Commercial Real Estate Services. After retiring from football in 1976, he was employed at E.F. Hutton as a Personal Financial Management Advisor.For 12 years, Brown was employed by Xerox Corporation with responsibilities for business and community relations.
He has served on the Board of Directors of Mellon Bank(MD), the Board of Visitors of George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
, the Board of Associates of Galludet University the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington,DC Sports Authority, and a Delegate to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with the American Council of Young Political Leaders.
Charitable Activities
Brown has been active over many years in charitable activities for the Redskins and other non-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area, including the Prince George's County Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
the National Council on Disability
National Council on Disability
The National Council on Disability was initially established in 1978 as an advisory board within the United States Department of Education to guarantee equal opportunity for people with disabilities. NCD is composed of 15 members, appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by...
, Friends of the National Zoo Advisory Committee, the Coalition for the Homeless,the Capital Children's Museum, and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
Charity Golf Classic.
He makes regular appreances at Redskin's alumni events.