Willie Brown (American football)

Did You Know?

• Brown grew up on Mushroom Street in Yazoo City, Mississippi; the street was renamed Willie Brown Street in 1978.
• While still playing, Brown worked for Shell Oil Company during the off-season in public and employee relations.
• Al Davis gave the induction speech when Brown entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

College career

Brown played college football at Grambling College (now Grambling State University) in Louisiana, competing as a split end on offense and a linebacker on defense under coach Eddie Robinson. Brown served as senior class president in 1963 and was later inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the SWAC Hall of Fame. His teammate Buck Buchanan also entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Professional career

After going undrafted in 1963, Brown was signed by the Houston Oilers on the recommendation of Eddie Robinson but was cut during training camp. He then joined the Denver Broncos and became a starting cornerback by mid-season. In 1964 he recorded nine interceptions, including four against the New York Jets in one game, earned All-AFL honors, and was named outstanding defensive player of the AFL All-Star Game. Traded to the Oakland Raiders in 1967, Brown served as defensive captain for ten of his twelve seasons there.

He was selected to five AFL All-Star games and four NFL Pro Bowls, and received All-AFL and All-NFL recognition multiple times. In Super Bowl XI, Brown intercepted a pass from Fran Tarkenton and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown, a Super Bowl record that stood for 29 years. He also returned playoff interceptions for touchdowns against Bob Griese and Terry Bradshaw, and regular-season interceptions for scores against Griese and Len Dawson.

Legacy

Brown earned a spot on the American Football League All-Time Team and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984, his first year of eligibility. The Sporting News placed him 50th on its 1999 list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest rank for any Raider. He also made the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. He is widely regarded as one of the first cornerbacks to employ the bump and run technique.

Coaching and post-coaching career

From 1979 to 1988, Willie Brown coached the Raiders' defensive backs, helping the team win Super Bowls in 1981 and 1984. He was instrumental in shaping cornerbacks Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes. In 1991, he became the final head football coach at Long Beach State before the program was shut down. That same year, he earned a master's degree from the school. He then coached at Jordan High School in Los Angeles in 1994. Brown returned to the Raiders in 1995 as Director of Staff Development and later served as a team ambassador, mentoring defensive backs like Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson.