Remembering An Eagles Legend On The Thirtieth Anniversary Of His Tragic Death
Thirty years ago as of this morning, Saturday, June 25, the NFL lost one of its most promising, rising defensive stars. Eagles defensive tackle Jerome Brown was just 27 years old when he lost his life, along with his 12-year-old nephew, in a single-car crash.
The news of this tragedy shook the league, the franchise, his teammates, and the communities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Brooksville, Florida. He is still remembered for his incredible talent on the field as well as his larger-than-life personality off of it.
Let’s take a look at back Jerome Brown the man as well as Jerome Brown the Eagle, and reflect on his impact on the franchise:
Jerome Brown: The Athlete
Jerome Brown began to build his football legend at Hernando High in Brooksville, Florida. Brown, with his incredible size and athleticism, of course, gained the attention of college scouts around the nation. Ultimately, Brown opted to stay in Florida, taking his talents to the University of Miami.
Jerome Brown became one of the most dynamic, dominant defensive linemen in the country during his four-year college career. He could shut down an opponent’s rushing attack by swallowing up holes before they even appeared, while at the same time using his deceptive speed to terrorize quarterbacks in the passing game. Brown finished his career at Miami with 183 tackles, 21 sacks, and 19 tackles for loss.
Ever known as a franchise built along the trenches, it was no surprise that the Philadelphia Eagles jumped on the opportunity to select Brown with the ninth pick in the 1987 NFL draft. Brown would join defensive end Reggie White in the City of Brotherly Love to create one of the most dominant defensive lines in league history.
Brown started eight games as a rookie in 1987, racking up 4.0 sacks (along with two interceptions, interestingly), and proving he was a franchise defensive tackle in the making. By his second season, he was a full-time starter.
In his third season in 1989, Brown recorded a career-high 10.5 sacks, and it was clear he had arrived. The 1990 and 1991 seasons saw Brown cement himself as truly elite, with a potential Hall of Fame career in the making. Brown was named First-Team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons. He finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 1991 season, leading the best defense in football, which would ultimately, tragically, turn out to be his last in the league.
On the morning of June 25th, 1992, just months before his sixth NFL season was set to kickoff, Brown lost his life, as did his 12-year-old nephew, Gus Brown, when he lost control of his Chevy Corvette and collided with a tree. The news of this tragedy rocked the foundations of the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL, and the communities in which he had become a hero.
Jerome Brown: The Man
There are so many stories to be found that paint a picture of Brown as a fearless, compassionate leader and teammate.
There is an incredible story in which Brown single-handedly dispersed a KKK rally in his hometown, using a massive set of car speakers, a sign, and his 290-lbs frame.
Former Eagles linebacker Britt Hanger described Brown as “bigger than life,” both in his persona and his physicality.
Former Eagles cornerback Eric Allen described the immense impact that Brown’s passing had on his teammates, stating that “when Jerome passed away, you just felt like, ‘Wow, we’re not invincible! You really can’t predict what our futures are going to be. It’s life and death.’ It took us a long time to understand how to come back and try to fill that friendship void. That was like a brother, not a teammate. It was very difficult for us.”
Clyde Simmons, another key piece of Philly’s dominant defensive line during the late 1980s and early 1990s, recalled to the Daily News the impact that Brown’s passing had on him, stating that “it made me change my approach to how I thought about football because it was a great loss to me, a dear friend and someone I was as close to as my own brother. When he died, it changed the way I approached the game. It became more businesslike than having fun.”
To truly collect the countless interviews and statements made by his peers describing the incredible leader and friend that Brown was would take a novel, at minimum. He clearly had a massive, positive impact on all who had the opportunity to work and play alongside him.
We here at Fly Eagles Nation would like us all to take a moment today to reflect on one of our greatest Eagles, whose life was taken far too early.
What is your favorite memory of Jerome Brown? Please feel free to let us know in the comments.
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