Former tackle Bob Brown died on Friday night aged 81, the Pro Football Hall of Fame – of which he was a member – announced.
Brown spent 10 years in the NFL with the Eagles, Rams and Raiders. Nicknamed “The Boomer,” he was a six-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro, drafted second overall by Philadelphia in the 1964 NFL Draft.
The Ohio native has been described as a soft-spoken person off the court but “the most aggressive lineman who has ever played.” depending on the room.
“Bob Brown demonstrated different personalities on and off the court,” Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement Saturday. “On the field, he was as fierce an opponent as any defensive lineman or linebacker ever faced. He used every tactic and technique – and sometimes brute force – to crush the will of the person in front of him. And took great pride in it.
“Yet off the court, he displayed a calm, gentle and caring nature that his son, Robert Jr., eloquently captured when he presented his father for enshrinement in 2004. The hall spans his thoughts and prayers to CeCe and Robert Jr. for their loss.
Brown, who was also elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, suffered a stroke in April.
