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Willie Brown (football player)
Encyclopedia
William Ferdie Brown is a former American Football
cornerback
. He is currently on the coaching staff of the Oakland Raiders
.
and was not drafted by any professional team after leaving school in 1963. He was signed by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League
but was cut from the team during training camp.
He was then signed by the AFL's 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. He was named to 5 AFL All-Star games
and 4 NFL Pro Bowls. He was also named All-AFL 3 times and All-NFL 4 times.
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 Pro Football seasons with 54 interceptions, which he returned for 472 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also recovered 3 fumbles.
He is a member of the American Football League All-Time Team
and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
on July 28, 1984, his first year of eligibility. 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.
, where he earned a master's degree, in 1991 and L.A. Jordan High School in 1994. In 1995
he returned to the Raiders as the Director of Staff Development.
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...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
. He is currently on the coaching staff of the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Playing career
Willie Brown played collegiate football at Grambling UniversityGrambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
and was not drafted by any professional team after leaving school in 1963. He was signed by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
but was cut from the team during training camp.
He was then signed by the AFL's Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and became a starter by the middle of his rookie season. He won All-AFL
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
honors in his second season and played in the AFL All-Star Game
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
, recording 9 interceptions for 144 yards.
In 1967, Brown was traded to the AFL's Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and would spend the remainder of his career there. He served as defensive captain for 10 of his 12 years with the team. He was named to 5 AFL All-Star games
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
and 4 NFL Pro Bowls. He was also named All-AFL 3 times and All-NFL 4 times.
Perhaps Brown's most memorable moment as a Raider came during Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
, when he intercepted a Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
pass and returned it a Super Bowl-record 75 yards for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. His record would stand for 29 years until it was broken by Kelly Herndon
Kelly Herndon
Kelly Errin Herndon is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Toledo. Although he entered his first NFL camp in 1999, Herndon waited until 2002 to play in...
's 76-yard interception return in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
.
Willie Brown retired after the 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
season, and finished his Raiders career with 39 interceptions, tied for first all-time on the team. Overall, he finished his 16 Pro Football seasons with 54 interceptions, which he returned for 472 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also recovered 3 fumbles.
He is a member of the American Football League All-Time Team
American Football League All-Time Team
The American Football League All- Time Team was selected on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams would be determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors: Since the First team included two halfbacks, rather than a halfback and a fullback, Cookie Gilchrist, a...
and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
on July 28, 1984, his first year of eligibility. In 1999, he was ranked number 50 on The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranking Raider player.
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 StateLong Beach State 49ers football
The Long Beach State 49ers football team represented California State University, Long Beach from the 1955 through 1991 seasons. The 49ers originally competed as an Independent before joining the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 1958. By the 1969 season, the 49ers would join the...
, where he earned a master's degree, in 1991 and L.A. Jordan High School in 1994. In 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
he returned to the Raiders as the Director of Staff Development.
Awards
- All-AFL TeamAmerican Football League All-Star games-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
(1964) - Five AFL All-Star Games (1964-65, 1967-69)
- Named to the All-Time AFLAmerican Football League All-Time TeamThe American Football League All- Time Team was selected on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams would be determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors: Since the First team included two halfbacks, rather than a halfback and a fullback, Cookie Gilchrist, a...
Team in 1969 - Four AFC-NFC Pro Bowls (19701970 NFL seasonThe 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
-731973 NFL seasonThe 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
) - Named to the Pro Football 25-year All-Star team
- Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1984 - Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1992
- Inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1994
- Inducted into the African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in 2010
Records
- Previously held Super Bowl record for longest interception (75 yards, Super Bowl XISuper Bowl XISuper Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
), now held by Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
Linebacker James Harrison (100 yards, Super Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
) - Oakland Raiders franchise leader for interceptions (39, t-1st)