Tim Brown (American football)

Did You Know?

• Brown was in the movie Little Giants.
• He started a NASCAR racing team as part of the Drive for Diversity program, though the plan never successfully began.
• In 1995, Brown became the National Chairman of Athletes & Entertainers for Kids and the related 9-1-1 for Kids.

Early life

Timothy Donell Brown was born on July 22, 1966, in Dallas, Texas. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, the same school as 1938 Heisman Trophy winner Davey O'Brien. Brown did not play football as a freshman because his mother forbade it; instead, he played in the school band. He joined the football team as a sophomore, initially hiding this from his mother, who learned of it when the band leader called. He was heavily recruited by major colleges, making official visits to Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma, SMU, and Iowa. Brown also excelled in track, with a personal record of 47.14 seconds in the 400-meter dash and a long jump of 7.42 meters.

College career

Brown chose the University of Notre Dame and played from 1984 to 1987, earning the nickname "Touchdown Timmy." As a freshman, he set a school record with twenty-eight receptions. As a junior, he set a record with 1,937 all-purpose yards. In 1987, he caught 34 passes for 846 yards, returned 34 punts for 401 yards, rushed for 144 yards, gained 456 yards on 23 kickoff returns, and scored eight touchdowns.

He finished his college career with 137 receptions for 2,493 yards, a school-record 5,024 all-purpose yards, and 22 touchdowns. The team had a 25–21 record over his four seasons and an 0–2 record in bowl games; Notre Dame won the national title the year after he graduated. Brown was named an All-American twice and won the 1987 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first pure wide receiver to do so. He held 19 individual school records upon graduation. In 2009, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Tim Brown entered the NFL in 1988 when the Los Angeles Raiders picked him sixth overall. As a rookie, he topped the league in kickoff returns, return yards, and average yards per return. His early years as a receiver were modest—147 catches over his first five seasons—but from 1993 through 2001 he strung together nine straight 1,000-yard campaigns. He also led the NFL in punt returns in 1994 and in receptions in 1997.

In March 1994, Brown signed an offer sheet with the Denver Broncos, but the Raiders matched it to keep him. He played alongside fellow wideout Jerry Rice in 2001. That December, he returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, making him the oldest player ever to score on a punt return. By 2002, he had surpassed Gene Upshaw as the Raiders’ all-time leader in games played (224) and held franchise records for receptions, receiving yards, and punt return yards.

Before the 2004 season, Brown was released after declining a reduced role. He then joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coached by former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. In his first game back in Oakland with Tampa Bay on September 27, 2004, Brown caught his 100th career touchdown pass, tying for third on the NFL’s all-time list at the time, and received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Relationship with Raiders owner Al Davis

Brown had a complicated relationship with the Oakland Raiders and late owner Al Davis. In a 2009 interview, Brown stated that after his first practice, he was told that Davis hated African-American athletes from Notre Dame, believing they would "take the money and run." Brown was unsure if this was a ploy to motivate him. In 2000, while dining in an Oakland restaurant with former teammates Chester McGlockton and Sean Jones, Brown found himself unable to approach or speak to Davis, saying he was saddened that after twelve years he could not say hello.

On August 5, 2004, the Raiders held a press conference with Brown and Davis, where both expressed mutual respect and a desire for Brown to return. On July 19, 2005, Brown held his own press conference in an Oakland hotel ballroom to announce his retirement; Davis did not attend due to a scheduling conflict. Davis allowed Brown to sign a ceremonial $765,000 contract so he could retire as a Raider. Brown's departure became acrimonious, and he publicly criticized Davis, senior assistant Michael Lombardi, and coach Norv Turner for conspiring to make him expendable.

Former teammates Marcus Allen, Lincoln Kennedy, and Chester McGlockton attended the press conference, along with Raiders executives Amy Trask, Marc Badain, and Mike Taylor, and receiver Jerry Porter. Kennedy stated that Davis not attending was "not his style."