Former NFL running back and running backs coach Gary Brown died Sunday, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Brown was 52.
He spent the past couple of weeks in hospice in his hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Brown coached the running backs at Wisconsin in 2021.
The Houston Oilers made Brown an eighth-round choice in 1991 out of Penn State. He spent five seasons with the Oilers, one with the Chargers and two with the Giants, retiring after the 1999 season.
In his eight-year playing career, Brown played 99 games with 47 starts. He had 1,116 touches for 4,931 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career, with 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 1993 and 1998.
Brown began his coaching career in 2003, advancing to the NFL in 2009 when the Browns hired him as their running backs coach. He was in Cleveland four seasons and with the Cowboys for seven. Brown was out of coaching in 2020 before the University of Wisconsin hired him.
“Gary Brown had a big heart partnered with a big smile and a big personality,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “His energy and spirit were infectious. He lit up every room he walked into and touched the lives of those who knew him in such a positive way. Everyone who knew him, loved him. He meant so much to the players he coached and the coaches he coached with. His love for his family, football and life was evident each day. He continued to fight, and he never gave up. My family and the Dallas Cowboys family are heartbroken, and our love and support are with his wife, Kim, his daughters, Malena and Dorianna, and his son, Tre.”
Former NFL running back, longtime assistant coach Gary Brown dies at 52 originally appeared on Pro Football Talk