Ed Brown, RIP

[GA Russell]

Ed Brown died last week. I had his bubble gum card in 1959 when he was with the Bears.

When I lived in Pittsburgh in the 70s I heard radio legend Myron Cope tell a story about Brown. He was the Steelers QB in '63. To my knowledge the Steelers had never had a good team till then. The team was started in the mid-30s.

Going into the last week of the season the Steelers were second in the East. That was because in those days the rankings were calculated differently. Now a tie is considered to be one-half win and one-half loss. But in those days ties were disregarded when calculating the winning percentage. The Steelers had a number of ties that year. (No OT, kids!) So with few losses their winning percentage was higher than it would be considered today.

There were no playoffs then. The championship game was between the two first place teams.

Going into the last week of the season, if the Steelers won that game they would finish first and play in the championship game for the first time.

So according to Cope Brown decided that he would go on the wagon the entire week before the game. Well in the game Brown spent the day overthrowing his receivers, and they lost. And all of the players blamed Brown for going on the wagon!

Here's his LA Times obit:

Ed Brown, 78; former NFL quarterback

From the Associated Press

August 8, 2007

Ed Brown, a former NFL quarterback and a leader of the University of San Francisco's undefeated 1951 team, has died. He was 78.

Brown died Thursday in Kennewick, Wash., of prostate cancer, said his daughter, Brooke Brownie.

Brown played 12 NFL seasons, including eight with the Chicago Bears and nearly four more with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the Bears' starting quarterback from 1955 to 1959, playing in the 1956 NFL title game and earning a spot in two Pro Bowls while also serving as Chicago's punter.

Brown passed for 15,600 yards and 102 touchdowns in his NFL career, including a career-best 2,982 yards and 21 TDs for the Steelers in 1963.

Brown, who grew up in San Luis Obispo, led San Francisco to a 9-0 record in 1951, his senior year. He earned the nickname "All-Around Brown" while playing quarterback, kicker and punter for a team that included future Pro Football Hall of Famers Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson and Bob St. Clair.

The Dons then received praise for refusing to drop their two black players, Matson and Burl Toler, in order to receive a bowl bid, as was required by most major bowl games at the time. San Francisco shut down its football program after the season, citing the high costs.

Brown served two years in the Marines before joining the Bears as a sixth-round pick. After leaving the NFL in 1965, he ran a business for 13 years.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by sister Greta Gerrie, brother Clarence Brown, son Beau Brown and grandchildren Bria and Brynn Brownie.

Brown's funeral is Saturday at Reis Family Mortuary in San Luis Obispo.

[alocispepraluger102]

thanks for those memories.