Jerome Brown facts for kids
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Brown with the Philadelphia Eagles, 1991
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| No. 99 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | February 4, 1965 Brooksville, Florida |
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| Died: | June 25, 1992 (aged 27) Brooksville, Florida |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 292 lb (132 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Brooksville (FL) Hernando | ||||||||
| College: | Miami (FL) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1987 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Willie Jerome Brown III (born February 4, 1965 – died June 25, 1992) was a talented American football player. He played as a defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League (NFL). Jerome played his entire five-year NFL career with the Eagles, from 1987 to 1991. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl twice, in 1990 and 1991. Before joining the NFL, he played college football at the University of Miami.
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College Football Career
Jerome Brown was a star player for the University of Miami football team. He was part of one of the most successful college football programs of his time. He finished his studies at the university in 1987.
One famous moment from his college career happened before the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. At a dinner with the Penn State team, Jerome led the Miami players in walking out. They felt that the Penn State players had disrespected their coach, Jimmy Johnson. Even though Miami was expected to win, Penn State won the game 14-10 and became the national champions.
A few days before that, Jerome and another Miami player, Dan Sileo, caused a stir. They were seen getting off their team plane wearing special military-style uniforms.
Professional Football Career
The Philadelphia Eagles picked Jerome Brown in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He was the ninth player chosen overall. During his five years playing for the Eagles, he was selected for the Pro Bowl twice, in 1990 and 1991.
Life in Brooksville
Jerome Brown grew up and graduated from Hernando High School in Brooksville, Florida. People often saw him running laps on the track there during the off-season. In June 1988, he was praised for his calm actions when he helped to manage a difficult situation involving protesters in his hometown.
His Death and Lasting Impact
Jerome Brown passed away on June 25, 1992, at the age of 27. This happened after a car accident in Brooksville. Both Jerome and his 12-year-old nephew died when Jerome lost control of his car and crashed into a palm tree. He was buried in his hometown of Brooksville.
In 2000, the Jerome Brown Community Center opened in Brooksville. It was built to honor his memory.
Jerome's son, Dee Brown (born in 1982), was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. He played several seasons of Minor League Baseball as an outfielder.
Jerome Brown and his former teammate, Reggie White, were featured in an episode of the NFL Network show A Football Life in 2011. Reggie White, who passed away in 2004, was scheduled to speak at an event in Philadelphia on the day Jerome died. He learned about his friend's death just before he went on stage. When Reggie spoke, he changed his planned speech. He said:
Tonight, I had planned on sharing my testimony, but it's kinda been altered. Today I lost a great friend; Philadelphia lost a great player, Jerome Brown died today.
Reggie White was very emotional and had tears in his eyes. He told the shocked crowd that Jerome was one of the best people he knew. He praised Jerome's family and called him one of his best friends.
Jerome Brown's Legacy
Jerome Brown, along with his teammate Reggie White, was a key part of the Eagles' defense. This defense was known for being very strong and tough for opposing teams to play against in the late 1980s and early 1990s. By the end of the 1991 season, Jerome was considered one of the best defensive tackles in the league. He was chosen as an All-Pro player for the second year in a row.
Jerome was loved by fans and by his first NFL head coach, Buddy Ryan. Coach Ryan once said, "if you had 45 Jerome Browns, you would win every game."
The Eagles retired Jerome's jersey number (#99) on September 6, 1992. This was done in a touching ceremony before the Eagles' first game of the 1992 season. After his death, Eagles players and fans started an unofficial saying: "Bring it home for Jerome." This was a way for fans to hope the Eagles would win a Super Bowl in Jerome's honor. The Eagles finally won Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018, which would have been Jerome's 53rd birthday.
Jerome Brown is also mentioned in the song "We Could Die Like This" by the band The Wonder Years. The lyrics say: "We watched the '92 Birds take the field without Jerome Brown."
