Roger Brown, who made six Pro Bowls in his 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s, died Friday at the age of 84, his family confirmed to the Lions.
A fourth-round defensive tackle out of Maryland-Eastern Shore in 1960, Brown was named first-team All-Pro in 1962 and 1963, his third and fourth seasons with Detroit. According to the team, during the 1962 season, Brown once sacked Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr seven times in a Thanksgiving win over the Green Bay Packers.
Brown reached five consecutive Pro Bowls with the Lions from 1962 to 1966 before joining the Rams in 1967.
"Roger Brown will always hold a special place in our team's history," Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp said in a statement. "A member of the Lions' esteemed 'Fearsome Foursome' of the 1960s with Alex Karras, Darris McCord and Sam Williams, Roger's career accomplishments solidify his legacy alongside some of the all-time greats of our game."
Brown played three seasons in Los Angeles alongside Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Lamar Lundy before retiring following the 1969 season.
The Lions inducted Brown, along with his teammate Karras, into the Pride of the Lions, the team's hall of fame, in 2018. Brown was also inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2015, College Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing," Ford Hamp added, "and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Kay, and the entire Brown family."
