Philadelphia Eagles: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Defensive tackle Jerome Brown‘s NFL career was brilliant, but short. His NFL career lasted only five years. It was quite the rise to stardom, only to come to a halt by a tragedy that shook all of Greater Philadelphia. Yet, Brown’s impact on the Eagles’ football culture remains vastly important to this very day.

Philadelphia took Brown No. 9 overall out of the University of Miami in the 1987 NFL Draft. He would prove to be one of the most dynamic interior defensive lineman of his generation. Brown had three interceptions over his first two years in the league. While pass deflections weren’t a recorded stat during his brief playing career, Brown certainly had a knack for getting his hands on the ball in the middle of the formidable Eagles defense of Buddy Ryan.

In year four, Brown truly broke out. He made his first trip to the Pro Bowl and garnered his first All-Pro first team nod. Brown would do the same in what ended up being his final season in 1992. The tragedy struck on June 25, 1992 when Brown and his nephew died in a car accident in his native Brooksfield, Florida. He was only 27 years old.

His untimely death came at the height of his NFL career. The Eagles would retire his No. 99 jersey in September during the following season. Posthumously, Brown made the Eagles’ 75th Anniversary Team and the Eagles Hall of Fame. The unofficial team motto of “Bring it home for Jerome” was about bringing a Super Bowl championship in Brown’s honor. Coincidentally, the Eagles would win Super Bowl LII on what would have been Brown’s 53rd birthday.