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Detroit Lions great, six-time Pro Bowl DT Roger Brown dies at 84

Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Detroit Lions legend and six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Roger Brown died Friday, the team announced. He was 84.

No cause of death was provided.

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"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.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Kay, and the entire Brown family."

Brown played seven seasons for the Lions after the franchise selected him in the fourth round of the 1960 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl every year from 1962-66 with the team.

He also was a Pro Bowler in 1967 during his three-year stint with the Los Angeles Rams (1967-69). He was named first-team All-Pro in 1962 and 1963.

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Sacks weren't made an official NFL statistic until 1982, but Brown had four seasons with at least 10 sacks for the Lions, according to unofficial figures from Pro Football Reference. He recorded a career-best 14 1/2 sacks in the 1964 campaign.

Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009 after his dominant career at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore from 1956-59. He played four years at the school and was a two-time NAIA All-American.

The Lions added Brown to their Ring of Honor in 2018. He also is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Following his retirement, Brown became a successful businessman and restaurateur in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.

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