Rosey Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rosey Brown

No. 79
Position:	Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1932-10-20)October 20, 1932 Charlottesville, Virginia
Died:	June 9, 2004(2004-06-09) (aged 71) Columbus, New Jersey
Career information
High school:	Jefferson (Charlottesville, Virginia)
College:	Morgan State (1951–1952)
NFL Draft:	1953 / Round: 27 / Pick: 321
Career history
New York Giants (1953–1965)
Career highlights and awards
NFL champion (1956) 6× First-team All-Pro (1956–1959, 1961, 1962) 3× Second-team All-Pro (1960, 1963, 1965) 9× Pro Bowl (1955–1960, 1962, 1964, 1965) NFL 1950s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team New York Giants Ring of Honor
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 163 Fumble recoveries: 4 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown Jr. (born October 20, 1932 – died June 9, 2004) was an amazing American football player. He was an offensive tackle for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL). He played for them from 1953 to 1965.

Before joining the pros, Rosey played college football at Morgan State University. He was picked very late in the 1953 NFL Draft, but he became one of the best players ever. He played in 162 games for the Giants, missing only four games in 13 years!

Rosey helped the Giants win many games. From 1956 to 1963, his team won six division championships. They also won the 1956 NFL Championship Game. He was chosen as a first-team All-NFL player eight times. He also played in the Pro Bowl nine times.

After he stopped playing, Rosey stayed with the Giants. He worked as an assistant coach and later as a scout. He was honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974. He was also named to the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams. This means he's considered one of the greatest players in NFL history!

Rosey Brown's Early Life

Rosey Brown was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1932. He was always a big kid. He once said that he started school in the third grade when he was six years old. This meant he finished high school at 15 and college at 19. He was still only 19 when he played his first game for the Giants in 1953.

He went to Jefferson High School, which was a school for African American students. At first, he played the trombone in the school band. His family didn't want him to play football because his older brother had been hurt playing it and sadly passed away.

But the football coach, Robert W. Smith, saw how big and strong Rosey was. He convinced Rosey, who weighed 180 pounds then, to play football. Rosey even played without his father knowing at first! Coach Smith joked that the band director almost fought him for Rosey. He said Rosey would be a great blocker, not just a great trumpet player.

College Football at Morgan State

After high school, Rosey went to Morgan State University in Baltimore. He got a scholarship to play football for the Morgan State Bears football team. Their coach was Edward P. Hurt.

Rosey was a star player in college. He was chosen as an All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association player in both 1951 and 1952. In 1952, he was a co-captain for his team.

In December 1952, a newspaper called the Pittsburgh Courier picked him as a top offensive tackle. They said he was great at opening up paths for his team's running backs. Coach Hurt believed Rosey was the best tackle Morgan State had ever produced. He said Rosey had "weight, speed and aggressiveness."

Playing for the New York Giants

Joining the Team

In January 1953, the New York Giants picked Rosey in the NFL Draft. He was the 322nd player chosen overall. The Giants noticed him because he was on the Pittsburgh Courier's All-American team.

Rosey signed a contract for $3,500 on March 25, 1953. Being picked so late and becoming such a star makes him one of the "biggest steals in draft history."

As a new player, Rosey played in all 12 games for the Giants in 1953. A sports writer said Rosey was "built like a museum statue." But he added that Rosey was "no statue on the field." Rosey also stood out for his style, often wearing "fancy street clothing" and a mustache.

Playing Through Segregation

Rosey played all 12 games in 1954 and 1955 too. During these years, most of the Giants team was white. Rosey spent a lot of time with Emlen Tunnell, another African-American player. They were roommates in New York.

When the team traveled, the owner, Wellington Mara, arranged for Rosey and Emlen to stay with Black families. This was because of segregation, which meant Black and white people were kept separate. Rosey later remembered that this actually had some benefits for them. They had more freedom than the white players who stayed in hotels.

Winning the NFL Championship

In 1956, the Giants had a great season and won the 1956 NFL Championship Game. Rosey was a very important part of this win. He blocked for star running backs like Frank Gifford and Alex Webster.

Murray Olderman, a sports writer, said the Giants had the "greatest ground threat" and Rosey was a key part of it. Frank Gifford, who was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1956, said he wouldn't be in the Hall of Fame without Rosey. He remembered Rosey making a huge block that allowed him to run for a very long touchdown.

After the 1956 season, everyone agreed Rosey was a first-team All-NFL player. He was one of only two players chosen by all 28 Associated Press voters. He also won the NFL's Lineman of the Year award.

A Star Player for Years

Rosey continued to be a top player for the Giants until 1965. From 1956 to 1963, he helped his team win six division championships and one NFL championship. He was mostly an offensive tackle, but he also played on other special teams. He was even known for helping on defense in important goal-line situations.

People also noticed Rosey's amazing body. A newspaper article in 1964 described his "massive" neck, shoulders, and chest. It said his body tapered down to smaller waist and legs. One artist even said she wasn't "worthy" to draw him and that he belonged to Michelangelo!

By November 1964, at age 32, Rosey knew he was getting older. He said, "You lose a step and you're done." But he still played one more year, appearing in all 14 games in 1965.

In total, Rosey played in 162 games for the Giants. He missed only four games in his 13-year career. He was chosen as a first-team All-NFL player eight times. He also played in the Pro Bowl nine times.

While playing for the Giants, Rosey and his wife Thelma lived in Teaneck, New Jersey. Their neighbor was New York Yankees baseball catcher Elston Howard.

After Playing: Coaching and Scouting

In March 1966, Rosey had some health issues, which made it unclear if he could keep playing. He tried to come back for the Giants' summer camp. But on August 23, 1966, he announced he was retiring as a player.

The Giants immediately hired him as an assistant coach. He became the assistant offensive line coach and then the main offensive line coach in 1969. Later, he worked as a scout for the team. Rosey spent more than 50 years with the Giants as a player, coach, and scout!

Rosey Brown's Amazing Achievements

Rosey Brown received many honors for his incredible career in football:

• In 1969, he was named to the National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team. This means he was one of the best players of the 1950s.
• In 1974, he was inducted into the Morgan State University Hall of Fame.
• In January 1975, Rosey was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is one of the highest honors for a football player.
• In 1979, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
• In 1994, he was named to the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. This team was chosen by experts and former players.
• In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 57 on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
• In 2010, he was part of the first group inducted into the New York Giants Ring of Honor.
• In 2019, he was named to the NFL's 100-year team, celebrating the best players from the league's first century.

Family and Passing

In June 2004, Rosey Brown had a heart attack while working in his garden. He passed away at his home in Columbus, New Jersey, at age 71. He was survived by his wife, Linda Lock, his two stepchildren, and two sisters.