Brown, "Willie" (William F.)
Football
b. Dec. 2, 1940, Yazoo City, MS
Brown may not have invented the "bump and run" style of pass defense, but he certainly perfected it. Bumping the receiver near the line of scrimmage to knock him off stride and delay his route, then running with him as he tries to complete the route, requires strength and speed. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Brown had both.
Virtually unknown coming out of Grambling College in 1963, he tried out with the AFL's Houston Oilers, was cut, and went to the Denver Broncos. He had four good seasons in Denver, but became a superstar only after being traded to the Oakland Raiders before the 1967 season.
During his 12 seasons with Oakland, the team won 125 games while losing 35 and tying 7. The Raiders went to two Super Bowls during that time. When they beat the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 for the 1976 NFL championship in Super Bowl XI, Brown set a championship game record with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Brown was an AFL/AFC all-star 10 consecutive years, 1964 through 1973. He retired after the 1978 season with 54 interceptions, which he returned for 472 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran back 3 punts for 29 yards and 3 kickoffs for 70 yards. In post-season play, he had 7 interceptions in 17 games, returning them for 196 yards and 3 touchdowns.