This week, the Commanders have a true legend of the game.
Sunday’s home game at Northwest Stadium will see former Washington Redskins running back Larry Brown honored as a legend of the game.
Brown was drafted 191st overall in the 1969 NFL Draft by the Redskins. He had been primarily a fullback at Kansas State, so his running ability was not widely known. Brown had been a blocker and only ran in short-yardage situations, so even Brown himself didn’t know what would happen when he became Washington’s starting running back in his rookie season.
Head coach Vince Lombardi noticed that Brown was still a little slow snapping the ball and ordered a hearing test. Sure enough, he suffered from a deficient ear, so Lombardi, with the NFL’s approval, had a hearing aid inserted into Brown’s helmet.
Brown flourished immediately, starting 13 of his 14 games during the 1969 season and gaining 888 yards on his 202 carries (4.4 YPC). It was during his second season that everyone in the NFL realized that Larry Brown was not only a starting running back, but also one of the most aggressive running backs in the league.
Brown led the NFL in 1970, averaging 86.5 rushing yards per game and also gaining 1,125 rushing yards. As a result, he was voted the NFL’s first team All-Pro.
A bold and sharp runner, Brown rushed for more than 5,000 yards in his first five seasons in the NFL (the NFL ran 14 game seasons from 1961 to 1978). At the peak of his career, Brown led the NFL in 1972, averaging 101.3 rushing yards per game and rushing for 1,216 yards in 12 games. He also led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage that season with 1,689 yards.
He was rested for the last two games since the Redskins had already clinched their division with an 11-1 record. As a result, Brown was voted the Associated Press MVP for the 1972 season.
However, Brown began suffering from debilitating knee injuries that slowed him down in 1974-76. He barely played his final season, starting no games, and was beaten and beaten. He only carried the ball 20 times in his final season, retiring after the 1976 season.
He was officially a Redskin for eight seasons, gaining 5,875 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns. Brown was also a very skilled receiver out of the backfield, receiving 238 receptions for 2,485 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns.
How good was Larry Brown? No Washington player has yet worn number 43 since Brown retired from the NFL.
The Commanders have named former players as home game “legends” this 2024 season. Last week, they faced understandable scrutiny when they named Robert Griffin III the legend of the game, although that Griffin only had one successful season in the NFL.
There will be no testing this week. Larry Brown was a stud, a workaholic. Larry Brown is a true “legend” of the Washington Redskins.
This article was originally published on Commanders Wire: Larry Brown named Commanders Game Legend for Week 13
