Pro Football Historian (PFH) is a blog page written by Flint Given. Pro Football Historian or PFH is a page to inform people on prior NFL events that people might not know about. Learning about teams from the 1920s or even the first few NFL World Championships in the 1930s fascinates me. It's these kinds of events that I want to discuss in this blog. Hopefully you are interested and will continue to check up on my blogs.
The Story And Significance Of Rosey Brown - Nine Time All-Pro Offensive Tackle For The New York Giants
Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown Jr. was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League for the New York Giants from 1953 to 1965. He previously played college football for Morgan State University.
After being selected with the 321st pick in the 1953 NFL Draft, he appeared in 162 games for the Giants, missing only four games in a 13-year career. In his prime, between 1956 and 1963, he helped lead the Giants to six division championships and the 1956 NFL Championship Game. He was selected as a first-team All-NFL player eight consecutive years and was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl nine times.
After retiring as a player, Brown remained with the Giants as an assistant coach and later as a scout. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974, was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and was named to the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. He was also included on the NFL's 1950s All-Decade Team and The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
In January 1953, the New York Giants selected Brown in the 27th round (322nd overall pick) of the 1953 NFL Draft. The Giants drafted Brown after seeing him featured in the Pittsburgh Courier's All-American team. Brown signed a one-year contract for $3,500 on March 25, 1953. Having been picked as the 321st player in the draft, he is considered "one of the biggest steals in draft history."
As a rookie, Brown appeared in all 12 games for a Giants team that compiled a 3–9 record during the 1953 season. In October 1953, sports writer Earl Wright wrote of Brown: "He is built like a museum statue, slender hips and broad shoulders. But he is no statue on the field. He surprised the Giants by outrunning Arnie Weinmeister, New York's fleet defensive tackle, in windsprints." Brown also gained attention as a rookie for his style, wearing "fancy street clothing" and regularly sporting a mustache, derby hat and umbrella.
Brown again started all 12 games for the 1954 and 1955 Giants teams that compiled records of 7–5 and 6–5–1. The Giants teams during these years was overwhelmingly white, and Brown spent most of his time with Emlen Tunnell, the other African-American starter on the team. The two were roommates in New York. On the road, team owner Wellington Mara arranged for the two to stay in private homes with black families rather than staying in the hotels with the white players.
In 1956, the Giants compiled an 8–3–1 record and won the 1956 NFL Championship Game. Brown played a key role for the Giants' championship team, blocking for the team's backs Frank Gifford (819 rushing yards), Alex Webster (694 rushing yards), and Mel Triplett (515 rushing yards). Sports writer Murray Olderman wrote: "The New York Giants have football's greatest ground threat, and Roosevelt Brown, an ultra-fast 245-pounder, is an integral part of it." Gifford, the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1956, later said: "I wouldn't be in the Hall of Fame if it weren't for him. ... The longest run of my career was on a pitchout against Washington. Rosie made a block at the line of scrimmage. I cut it up, and then I'm running downfield and I look up and I see No. 79 in front of me, and he wiped out another guy."
At the end of the 1956 season, Brown was unanimously selected as a first-team All-NFL player by the Associated Press (AP), United Press (UP), NEA, The Sporting News, and New York Daily News. Brown was one of only two players to be chosen by all 28 AP voters as a first-team All-NFL player. He was also received the NFL's Lineman of the Year award.
Brown remained a fixture in the Giants' offensive line through the 1965 season. In his prime, between 1956 and 1963, he helped lead the team to six division championships and one NFL championship. Brown was known primarily as an offensive tackle but also played on the Giants' kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return, and field goal attempt platoons. He was also known on defense as the "head 'traffic cop' on New York's last-ditch 'goal-line stand' platoon."
In November 1964, at age 32, Brown acknowledged that time was catching up with him: "You lose a step and you're done. You know how to do things, but you can't do them any more." Brown lasted one more year, appearing in all 14 games for the 1965 Giants.
In all, Brown appeared in 162 games for the Giants, missing only four games during his 13-year NFL career. Brown was selected as a first-team All-NFL player eight times during his NFL career: 1956 (AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News); 1957 (AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News); 1958 (AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News); 1959 (AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News); 1960 (UPI, Sporting News); 1961 (AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News); 1962 (AP, UPI); and 1963 (UPI, NEA).[1] He was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl nine times: 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, and 1965.
While playing with the Giants, Brown and his wife Thelma were residents of Teaneck, New Jersey, where they were neighbors of New York Yankees catcher Elston Howard.
In March 1966, Brown was hospitalized with phlebitis, calling into doubt his ability to continue his playing career. Brown participated in the Giants' summer camp, but on August 23, 1966, he announced his retirement as a player. The Giants announced at the same time that the team had hired Brown as an assistant coach. He became the Giants' assistant offensive line coach and was promoted to offensive line coach in 1969. He later worked as a scout for the Giants. As a player, coach and scout, his career with the Giants spanned more than 50 years.
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Murray Chass (January 3, 1973). "Travels With Rosey; New Jersey Sports". The New York Times.
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"Graham, Huff on All-1950s Pro Football Selections". Racine Sunday Bulletin. August 31, 1969. p. 6C – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
2012 Media Guide, p. 95.
"Rosey Brown, Three Others Join Football Hall of Fame". Wisconsin State Journal. January 16, 1975. p. Sec 5, page 3 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
"Dave Anderson; Big Rosey Finally Gets a Headline". The New York Times. January 16, 1975.
"Virginia Hall of Fame taps Brown". The Daily Reporter (Greenville, Ind.). April 17, 1979. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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"untitled". Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY). August 15, 1999. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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"Roosevelt Brown, Mel Hein named to NFL 100 All-Time Team".
"Brown was one of the first big, mobile linemen". ESPN.com. June 10, 2004.
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