Age: 24 (Dec.
2)
2nd
season in pro football & with Broncos
College: Grambling
Height: 6’1” Weight: 190
Prelude:
An offensive
end in college, Brown went undrafted and was initially signed by the Houston
Oilers in 1963, who converted him to cornerback. He was cut in the preseason
and the Broncos signed him. Brown was a reserve in the defensive backfield
before getting an opportunity to start later in the year. While his performance
was initially shaky due to inexperience, he intercepted one pass and showed
improvement as the season progressed.
1964 Season Summary
Appeared in all
14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Interceptions
– 9 [3]
Most
interceptions, game – 4 vs. NY Jets 11/15
Int. return
yards – 140 [6]
Most int.
return yards, game – 91 (on 4 int.) vs. NY Jets 11/15
Int. TDs – 0
Scoring
Safeties – 1
Points – 2
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-AFL: League, AP, NEA, UPI, NY Daily News
AFL All-Star
Game
Broncos went 2-11-1
to finish fourth in the AFL Western Division while leading the league in most
points surrendered (438).
Aftermath:
Following his
breakout season, Brown’s interceptions dropped to two in 1965 while dealing
with injuries but he repeated as an AFL All-Star. After four years in Denver,
he was traded to Oakland in 1967 and was a key defensive component as the
Raiders won the AFL Championship and continued to contend well beyond that.
Brown intercepted seven passes, one of which he returned for a TD, in ’67,
which was the first of seven straight years in which he was chosen to either
the AFL All-Star Game or, following the 1970 merger, the Pro Bowl. He was also
a consensus first-team All-AFL choice in 1968 and ’69. Fast and with excellent
instincts, Brown was also highly adept at bump-and-run coverage. He had an off-year in 1970 due to a shoulder
separation but still made the Pro Bowl and bounced back to be a consensus
first-team All-NFL selection in ’71. Brown lasted a total of 16 seasons and
intercepted 54 passes, with 15 of those coming with Denver. His 9 in ’64 remained
his career-high. In 17 postseason games he picked off another seven passes,
three of which he returned for TDs, including one for 75 yards against the
Vikings in Super Bowl XI following the 1976 season. Brown was a consensus
first-team All-AFL or All-NFL choice five times, received some first- or
second-team recognition after another six seasons, and was selected to nine Pro
Bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1984.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
