Las Vegas Raiders: 50 greatest players in franchise history
By John Buhler
CB. Grambling State Tigers. Willie Brown. 10. player. 28.
Over the years, the Raiders have had several outstanding cornerbacks. Many of these guys have earned Canton enshrinement. One guy you can’t begin to tell the story of the Raiders without is Willie Brown. That’s because Brown made five AFL All-Star rosters, four Pro Bowls and is a Super Bowl Champion as both a player and a coach.
Brown first made it into professional football out of Grambling State when he went undrafted in 1963. He would sign as a free agent with the Denver Broncos and would play his first four professional seasons in the Mile High City. Brown made two AFL All-Star games with the Broncos before being traded to the Raiders in 1967.
After arriving in Oakland, Brown would rattle off seven straight All-Star nods, three in the AFL and four Pro Bowls in the NFL. The Raiders would win the 1967 AFL Championship and Super Bowl XI in 1976 when Brown was in the twilight of his playing career. He would serve as the Raiders’ defensive backs coach from 1979 to 1988 immediately after retirement. The Raiders would win two Super Bowls when Brown was on Tom Flores‘ coaching staff.
Brown was a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. He earned Canton enshrinement in 1894. His classmates include Mike McCormack, Charley Taylor, and Arnie Weinmeister. He finished with 39 interceptions for 227 yards and two touchdowns in 12 years with the Silver and Black.