Tom Brown, a two-sport athlete who made a crucial play to secure an NFL title for the Green Bay Packers in 1966, has died at the age of 84.
Brown’s death was announced by the Packers organization as well as his alma mater, the University of Maryland. The Packers revealed that he died last week.
Brown, a native of Laureldale, Pennsylvania, attended high school in the Washington, DC suburb of Silver Springs, Maryland.
Growing up he was an All-Met selection in football and in basketball, but had a deep love for baseball as well.
After playing football and baseball at Maryland, Brown was picked 28th overall in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Packers. He was also selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the AFL Draft with the 20th pick.
But he passed initially on playing football after visiting the Packers’ locker room in the 1962 NFL Championship game and saying, ‘These guys are big. I’m going to play baseball.’
Tom Brown, a two-sport star that played for the Washington Senators and Green Bay Packers, has died at the age of 84
He passed on his final season of college baseball eligibility by signing a minor league contract with his hometown Washington Senators.
Brown played one season with the Senators after impressing at spring training. He started at first base before eventually being replaced.
His MLB career ended with Brown batting .147 in 61 games with 17 hits, four RBI and a lone home run.
Brown declined an offer to play with the Packers in 1963 to try and make the roster for the Senators again, but he didn’t do well in spring training and was sent down to the minors just two days before Opening Day. He quit baseball that July and signed with Green Bay.
Brown played six seasons in the NFL: five with the Packers and one with the Washington Redskins.
Brown was part of Green Bay’s three straight NFL title-winning teams from 1965-67 under Lombardi, starting in the secondary and playing a key role on one of the most important plays during that dynasty.
With the Packers protecting a 34-27 lead in the final minute of the 1966 NFL title game, Dallas drove down to the 2-yard line with a chance to tie the game. But on fourth down, Don Meredith’s desperation pass was intercepted by Brown in the back of the end zone to seal the win. The Packers went on to win the first Super Bowl two weeks later against Kansas City.
Brown also had an interception in the 1967 playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams. The Packers then won the NFL title the following week in the Ice Bowl against Dallas and another Super Bowl against the Oakland Raiders.
Green Bay also won the NFL title with Brown starting in the secondary in 1965 – the year before the first Super Bowl.
Brown was traded to Washington from Green Bay in 1969 after Lombardi had been hired there and played just one game that season in his final year in the NFL.
Brown finished his NFL career with 13 interceptions and six fumble recoveries in 71 regular-season games, along with the two interceptions in the playoffs.
After his playing career had ended, Brown ran a sports league for children in Salisbury, Maryland – sponsoring flag football, baseball, and basketball. He ran the league from 1989 to 2015.
