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| No. 47 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1937-08-30)August 30, 1937 Dayton, Texas, U.S. |
| Died: | June 23, 2013(2013-06-23) (aged 75) Dayton, Texas, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Dayton |
| College: | Houston |
| NFL draft: | 1959: 2nd round, 20 (by theLos Angeles Rams)[1]th pick |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Don Albert Brown (August 20, 1937 – June 25, 2013) was anAmerican football player who survived a near fatal accident at the annual College All-Star Game and was part of one of the biggest trades in pro football history. He played one season in theAmerican Football League (AFL) in 1960.[2][3]
Born inDayton, Texas, Brown attendedDayton High School, where he playedhigh school football from 1953 to 1955. He then attendedUniversity of Houston where he played for thefootball team as arunning back anddefensive back from 1956 to 1958, earning anAll-America honorable mention during his senior year.
On Aug. 14, 1959, Brown played for theCollege All-Stars against the defendingNFL champions, theBaltimore Colts. He was the recipient of a violent hit by Colts linebackerBill Pellington on which he swallowed his tongue and stopped breathing momentarily. He laid unconscious for several minutes before the team medical staff was able to revive him.
Brown was drafted by theLos Angeles Rams with the 20th pick in the 1959 NFL draft but was immediately traded forOllie Matson of theChicago Cardinals. This trade was a significant ice -- Brown was one of nine players dealt for the star halfback even though he would never play a game for his new team. He had a brief stint with theGreen Bay Packers with under head coachVince Lombardi before returning home to try out for the newly formedHouston Oilers, where he played three games.