June 9, 2004: Rosey Brown died in Mansfield Township, NJ. He was 71 years old.

Roosevelt “Rosey” Brown was a football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants from 1953 to 1965. Brown was drafted by the Giants out of Morgan State University in the 1953 NFL Draft after being noticed by the Giants in the Pittsburgh Courier, an African-American newspaper that named him to their 1952 Black All-American team.

On the offensive line, Brown pass blocked for quarterbacks Charlie Conerly and Y. A. Tittle and run blocked for backs like Alex Webster and Frank Gifford. Despite his 6’3″, 255-pound frame, Brown was very quick on his feet which was very unusual for his era. He is considered one of the greatest “sleeper picks” in NFL history as he was drafted in 27th round of the NFL Draft.

Brown was named to the Pro Bowl a total of nine times and helped the Giants win the NFL Championship in 1956. Following the 1965 season, Brown retired, suffering from chronicphlebitis. He became the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach in 1966 and was promoted to offensive line coach in 1969. He remained with the Giants organization in the scouting department for many years.

LEGACY:
?In 1999, he was ranked number 57 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

?9× Pro Bowl selection (1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965)

?6× first-team All-Pro (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962)

?NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team

?NFL’s 1950s All-Decade Team

?1956 NFL champion

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