Cliff Brown (American football) facts for kids
| No. 8 | |
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| Position: | Quarterback / Placekicker / Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 14, 1952 Middletown, Pennsylvania |
| Died: | December 10, 2012 (aged 60) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Notre Dame |
| NFL Draft: | 1974 / Round: 17 / Pick: 427 |
| Career history | |
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Clifton Brown, Sr. (born June 14, 1952 – died December 10, 2012) was an American football player. He was a quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. Cliff Brown made history as the first African-American quarterback to start a game for this famous college team.
Cliff Brown: A College Football Story
Cliff Brown played a key role in the Notre Dame football team. He was known for his skills as a quarterback. His journey to becoming a starter was quite interesting.
Becoming Notre Dame's Starting Quarterback
After a famous player named Joe Theismann left Notre Dame in 1971, the team needed a new starting quarterback. The coach, Ara Parseghian, first chose Pat Steenberge to start the season. But Pat got a leg injury. Then, the backup player, Bill Etter, took over for two games. Sadly, Bill also got a knee injury, which ended his season.
This is when Cliff Brown stepped in. He began playing in the second quarter of a game against Miami. Cliff led his team to a 17–0 victory! After that, he started all the remaining games that season. Notre Dame only lost two games with him as the starter, against USC and LSU.
His College Career and Beyond
In the next two seasons, 1972 and 1973, Cliff Brown was the main backup quarterback. A new player, Tom Clements, became the starter. Cliff still played an important part for the team.
His last touchdown at Notre Dame was special. It happened in the final game of the 1973 season. This was the year Notre Dame won the national championship! Cliff scored a 6-yard run in a big 44–0 win against Miami.
After college, Cliff Brown was chosen in the 17th round of the 1974 NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles picked him as a running back. However, he did not make the final team roster.
Cliff Brown passed away on December 10, 2012, when he was 60 years old.
