Former Ravens, Browns OT Orlando Brown dead at 40: Former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns OT Orlando Brown is dead 40 years. Firefighters found Brown in Baltimore on Friday, when he was insensitive to the house near the harbor, the Associated Press. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said there were no signs of trauma or suspected activity.Nicknamed "Zeus", the 6-foot-7, 360-pound lineman has started 119 games for a nine-year career as a wound interrupted. "He's one of the greatest men I know – really a gentle giant away from the game," said Ravens LB Ray Lewis, Brown's former teammate. "He was the original Raven.”When you heard his voice on the field, you knew things were going to be all right. He would say: 'Keep playing. Keep fighting. Do it for us. Do it for your teammates. Lew, Lew, keep it up!' I can almost hear that voice right now. And, oh, how he loved his sons. They lost a great father. So sad, just so sad," Brown was infamously struck in the eye by the penalty flag of referee Jeff Triplette during a Browns game in 1999. After leaving the field, Brown returned to the field and shoved Triplette to the ground, then filed a $200 million lawsuit, claiming that the injury prematurely shortened his career. Brown was initially suspended until the league learned that Brown had been temporarily blinded in one eye.Brown and the NFL reached a $15-20 million settlement in 2002, with the stipulation that if he returned, the NFL would get half of his after-tax income each season, up to a total of $1 million, according to The Washington Post. Brown made a comeback with the Ravens in 2003, starting 34 games in three seasons before retiring. The NFL sued him for $500,000 in 2004, claiming that Brown ignored requests to pay back the money. Ravens Director of Player Development Harry Swayne, Brown's former teammate and close friend, described him as a "puppy dog". 
"It's tough, it's tough," Swayne told the Carroll County Times. "I talked to him a month ago and told him, 'Zeus, you didn't have to block half the people you played against because they were scared of you.' He was a puppy dog, a big old puppy dog with a little bit of a bark. He had a lot of friends around the league. He was one of the best guys. It's a tough loss." Bill Belichick, the Browns' head coach from 1991-1995, said Friday that Brown was a "true throwback player ... as tough as they come." "I am extremely shocked and saddened to hear the news about Orlando Brown," Belichick said Friday. "Orlando improved as a player as much as anyone I have ever seen, as he went from being a defensive lineman at South Carolina State to becoming one of the game's top offensive tackles." Said Ravens DB Ed Reed: "This is a sad day; Zeus was a fire-starter, His energy he would get us going at practices, in training camp and games, how he loved to play football, "Former Ravens, Browns OT Orlando Brown dead at 40
"It's tough, it's tough," Swayne told the Carroll County Times. "I talked to him a month ago and told him, 'Zeus, you didn't have to block half the people you played against because they were scared of you.' He was a puppy dog, a big old puppy dog with a little bit of a bark. He had a lot of friends around the league. He was one of the best guys. It's a tough loss." Bill Belichick, the Browns' head coach from 1991-1995, said Friday that Brown was a "true throwback player ... as tough as they come." "I am extremely shocked and saddened to hear the news about Orlando Brown," Belichick said Friday. "Orlando improved as a player as much as anyone I have ever seen, as he went from being a defensive lineman at South Carolina State to becoming one of the game's top offensive tackles." Said Ravens DB Ed Reed: "This is a sad day; Zeus was a fire-starter, His energy he would get us going at practices, in training camp and games, how he loved to play football, "Former Ravens, Browns OT Orlando Brown dead at 40
0 comments:
Post a Comment