Willie Brown

William Ferdie Brown (born December 2, 1940 in Yazoo City, Mississippi) is a retired American Football cornerback and is currently on the staff of the Oakland Raiders. Willie Brown played collegiate football at Grambling University and was not drafted by any professional team after leaving school in 1963. He was signed by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League but was cut from the team during training camp. He was then signed by the A... more

William Ferdie Brown (born December 2, 1940 in Yazoo City, Mississippi) is a retired American Football cornerback and is currently on the staff of the Oakland Raiders. Willie Brown played collegiate football at Grambling University and was not drafted by any professional team after leaving school in 1963. He was signed by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League but was cut from the team during training camp. He was then signed by the AFL's Denver Broncos and became a starter by the middle of his rookie season. He won All-AFL honors in his second season and played in the AFL All-Star Game, recording 9 interceptions for 144 yards. In 1967, Brown was traded to the AFL's Oakland Raiders and would spend the remainder of his career there. He served as defensive captain for 10 of his 12 years with the team. He was named to 5 AFL All-Star games and 4 NFL Pro Bowls. He was also named All-AFL 3 times and All-NFL 4 times. Perhaps Brown's most memorable moment as a Raider came during... less