Honors & Awards
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (2004)
- College Football Hall of Fame (1993)
A unanimous All-American in 1963, Bob "Boomer" Brown used his massive size for his day and age (6-5, 260 pounds) and his relentless aggressiveness to help turn the Nebraska football program into one of the best in the nation.
Brown led Coach Bob Devaney's second Nebraska team to a 10-1 record and its first-ever Big Eight championship, the Huskers' first conference title since 1940.
Brown also played linebacker for the Huskers and recorded 49 tackles, a pass interception and two fumble recoveries.
Brown's accomplishments as a collegian led to his induction in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., in 1993.
As a professional player, Brown was one of the most feared offensive tackles in the NFL. In his 10 professional seasons, Brown earned six trips to the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-NFL seven times.
He was named to the NFL's All-Decade team during the 1960s, and was named the NFL/NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times.
Brown was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the 1964 NFL Draft. He spent his first five seasons in the NFL with Philadelphia, before spending two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and three seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He played in 126 career NFL games.
Brown's accomplishments as an NFL great were honored with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 2004.
At the time of his induction, Brown joined Guy Chamberlin as the only Huskers to be enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame (Will Shields later joined that distinguished group).
A graduate of East Technical High School in Cleveland, Ohio, Brown was the first African-American to earn All-America honors at Nebraska, and the first All-American to play for Devaney and the Huskers.
Brown, whose No. 64 jersey was retired in 2004, is one of only three numbers permanently retired at Nebraska. The last Husker to wear the No. 64 before it was retired was offensive lineman Kurt Mann.