Robert Stanford Brown (born December 8, 1941), nicknamed "The Boomer" is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

offensive tackle in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

from 1964 through 1973. He was drafted by the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

as the second overall pick in the 1964 NFL draft. He played for the Eagles from 1964 to 1968, the Los Angeles Rams from 1969 to 1970, and the Oakland Raiders from 1971 to 1973. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

. Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

in 2004.

College career

At the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

, Brown was an

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

selection at

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

, and was voted the offensive lineman of the year by the 1963

Washington D.C. Touchdown Club The DC Touchdown Club, earlier known as The Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C., was started in 1935 with a passion for charity and sports. In the ensuing years the Club has benefited many local charities as well as providing scholarships to deservin ...

Professional career

Brown was drafted in the first round (second overall) of the 1964 NFL draft by the

. The contract he signed with the team had a $100,000 signing bonus. After his rookie season in 1964, Brown was named the NFL Rookie of the Year. He was named to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

and 1966 during his five-season career with the Eagles. After asking for a trade from the Eagles, Brown was sent to the Los Angeles Rams in a five-player trade on May 12, 1969. The Eagles traded Brown, along with cornerback

Jim Nettles James William Nettles (born March 2, 1947) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1970 and 1981, for the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Roya ...

, to the Rams in exchange for offensive tackle

Joe Carollo Joe Carollo (born March 12, 1955) is a Cuban-American politician who served as mayor of Miami from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2001. Following his loss in the 2001 mayoral election, he served as Doral, Florida city manager from January ...

, guard Don Chuy and defensive back

Irv Cross Irvin Acie Cross (July 27, 1939 – February 28, 2021) was an American professional football player and sportscaster. He played cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Philadelphia Eagle ...

. Brown was traded by the Rams to the Oakland Raiders, along with two draft picks, in exchange for offensive tackle Harry Schuh and cornerback

Kent McCloughan Kent Auburn McCloughan (born February 12, 1940) is a former football player and scout. He played cornerback for the American Football League (AFL)'s Oakland Raiders from 1965 through 1969, and for the National Football League (NFL)'s Raiders in 19 ...

on June 23, 1971. During the 1971 season, he was one of five eventual Pro Football Hall Of Fame offensive linemen on the field for Oakland at the same time (with

Art Shell Arthur Lee Shell Jr. (born November 26, 1946) is an American former professional football player in the American Football League (AFL) and later in the National Football League (NFL), a Hall of Fame offensive tackle and a two-time former head co ...

Gene Upshaw Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr. (August 15, 1945 – August 20, 2008), also known as "Uptown Gene" and "Highway 63", was an American professional football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Foot ...

Jim Otto James Edwin Otto (born January 5, 1938) is an American former professional football player who played as a center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He played colle ...

and

Ron Mix Ronald Jack Mix (born March 10, 1938) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle. He is a member of the American Football League (AFL) All-Time Team, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 19 ...

). Brown was named

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

during five of his ten seasons with the Eagles, Rams and Oakland Raiders. Named the NFL/NFC offensive lineman of the year by the

NFLPA The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is a labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by president J. C. Tretter and executive director DeM ...

three times (1968-1970), Brown was also chosen to play in six

s, three with the Eagles, two with the Rams, and once with the Raiders.

Awards and honors

In 1993, Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the

in 2004. Brown's No. 64 was permanently retired by Nebraska in 2004.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Bob 1941 births Living people American football offensive guards American football offensive tackles Los Angeles Rams players Nebraska Cornhuskers football players Oakland Raiders players Philadelphia Eagles players All-American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players National Conference Pro Bowl players Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Western Conference Pro Bowl players Players of American football from Cleveland African-American players of American football 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople