Ed Brown
- David Hegler
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The 1951 University of San Francisco football team is one of the most legendary in all of the Bay Area. Nine members of that team went on to play in the NFL with three earning their places in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even their publicist, Pete Rozelle, would serve as the NFL's commissioner for decades. That team was untied, unbeaten and never went to a bowl game. In the face of racism, they elected to stay home rather than play in the Orange Bowl. While many of the members of that team have been heralded for decades, one member is largely forgotten. Their quarterback, Ed Brown.
The Early Years
Charles Edward "Ed" Brown was born on October 26, 1928 in North Carolina but soon moved to San Louis Obispo, California. After starring at San Louis Obispo High School, he earned the nickname "Bullseye" in his one year at Hartnell Junior College due to his accuracy.
He threw 22 touchdown passes as a freshman and earned All-Junior College All-American honors along with future teammates Ollie Matson and Burl Toler who both played at San Francisco Junior College. The next year, all three were at the University of San Francisco.
The Dons
In the fall of 1949, Ed Brown transferred to the University of San Francisco. Although he was reluctant to insert his new quarterback in games, coach Joe Kuharich was slowly swayed by Brown's prowess under center. That first year was a whirlwind for the sophomore signal-caller. Not only did he serve under center (18 completions, 422 yards and four touchdowns), but he also caught seven passes at an impressive 18.43 average and ranked fourth in the nation with a punting average of 42.7 yards while subsequently serving as the team's PAT specialist.
Coach Kuharich saw a fire within his young player's soul and gave him a shot at the open quarterback spot the following year. Brown completed 59 passes for 1,205 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1950 while continuing to amaze as a punter, averaging 37.1 yards.
As a senior in 1951, all the pieces went perfectly together for the Dons. Surrounded with talented players such as Bob St. Clair, Gino Marchetti and Ollie Matson, Ed Brown continued his ascent as a leader while his team tore through their schedule to go undefeated. Even so, their attendance at Kezar Stadium had been sorely lacking ever since the 49ers began back in 1946 and it was clear to all that the program desperately needed a bowl game to stay alive.
At season's end, the Orange Bowl invited them to play, but there was a glaring catch. In those days, the Orange Bowl committee didn't want any African Americans to play in their venue. The Dons knew that they couldn't just abandoning Ollie Matson and Burl Toler. Not only were they two of the team's best players, but it just wasn't right.
So the team effectively sacrificed itself and declined the Orange Bowl invitation. With no money left in their coffers for a football program, USF discontinued the sport right then and there. While it was a tough decision, the 1951 Dons made the right one and established a legacy that can never be broken. With that, the team went their separate ways with many continuing their careers in the NFL.
Life After USF
With his college career over, Ed Brown was taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. However, this was in the middle of the Korean War and he was quickly picked up by the U.S. Marines. He spent the next two years keeping his skills sharp at Camp Pendelton and reemerged in Chicago ready to contribute.
He saw limited action as a rookie in 1954 but became the full-time starter in 1955. That year, he went 8-4, completed 51.8% of his passes for 1,307 yards and nine touchdowns while earning an invitation to the Pro Bowl. He was even better the following year, going 9-2-1, throwing for 1,667 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading the league by completing 57.1% of his passes and earning his second straight Pro Bowl invitation.
The Bears made it all the way to the NFL Championship Game in 1956 but it didn't go well. In the only postseason game of his 10-year career, Ed Brown completed just eight of his 20 passes for a pedestrian 97 yards and an interception as he and his teammates were soundly beaten by a terrific New York Giants squad 47-7 at the iconic Yankee Stadium.
That was his last truly good year. He still had spurt of good play over the next eight years -such as a 7-3 record in 1958, completing half of his passes in 1959 and passing for a career best 2,982 yards and 21 touchdowns in 1963- but he could never have a sustained period of excellence. He left Chicago after 1961, played wit hthe Pittsburgh Steelers from 1962 through the first half of 1965 before finishing his career with the Baltimore Colts in the latter half of 1965.
After retiring, he returned home to San Louis Obispo where he ran a farm for the next 13 years. Ed Brown died on August 2, 2007 in Kennewick, Washington. today, his memory is preserved in USF's Athletic Hall of Fame.
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