John Brown (center) facts for kids
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John Brown, 1947 with Dons
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| No. 29 | |||
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| Position: | Center, linebacker | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | April 9, 1922 Belen, Mississippi |
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| Died: | June 1, 2009 (aged 87) Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Theodore Roosevelt (IN) | ||
| College: | North Carolina Central | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
John Edward "The Body" Brown was an amazing American football player. He was born on April 9, 1922, and passed away on June 1, 2009. John played as a center and linebacker. He played college football at North Carolina Central. Later, he played professionally for teams like the Los Angeles Dons, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and British Columbia Lions. John Brown was very important because he was the first African-American player to sign with the Los Angeles Dons. He was also one of the first three players from historically-black universities to play professional football.
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John Brown's Early Life
John Brown was born in 1922 in a town called Belen, Mississippi. When he was older, he went to Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana. While there, he played football for his school team.
College Football Career
John Brown played college football at North Carolina Central. This school is a historically black university. He played there from 1940 to 1942 and then again in 1947.
His college football career was paused because he served in the United States Army during World War II. Even while in the army, he kept playing football. He even played in a special game called the Spaghetti Bowl in Italy on January 1, 1945.
Playing Professional Football
In April 1947, John Brown signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dons. This team was part of the All-America Football Conference.
The Los Angeles Dons had promised to give African-American players a chance to play. They had not kept this promise in their first year. This led to a lot of criticism from black newspapers. John Brown's signing was a big deal. News reports even had headlines like "Dons Withdraw the Color Line." He was one of the first nine African-Americans to play in the AAFC.
John Brown was also one of the first players from historically-black universities to play professional football. Two other players, Ezzret Anderson and Elmore Harris, also debuted in the 1947 season.
Brown played for the Dons as a center and linebacker from 1947 to 1949. He played in 40 games for the team.
After playing for the Dons, he moved to the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1950 to 1954. In 1950, he was recognized as one of the best players in his division. In September 1954, he was traded to the British Columbia Lions. He played in a total of 36 CFL games.
Later Life and Legacy
John Brown passed away in 2009 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was 87 years old. His career was important for breaking barriers in professional football.
