Great Moments in NFL History: Jerome Brown and Sean Taylor

Great Moments in NFL History: Jerome Brown and Sean Taylor

    When looking at the names of Jerome Brown and Sean Taylor, you wouldn’t think there was much in common between these two. One was a safety while the other was a lineman. One wore 36 and 21, while the other wore 99. One played for the Eagles while the other played for the Redskins. They both went to the University of Miami. They both might’ve been the best to ever play their position had they lived longer…

    Actually, there are a lot of similarities, aren’t there?

    It’s always tough to talk about Jerome Brown and Sean Taylor. These two had abilities at their respective positions that only a select few players have ever possessed. I’m talking “the greatest” ability. Forget being Hall of Famers, I’m not so sure these two wouldn’t have dethroned the likes of Ronnie Lott, Deacon Jones, Rod Woodson and even Brown’s teammate in Philly, Reggie White.

    Poor Reggie, he was given the hardest task a football player has ever been given in my opinion.

    He was at Veterans Stadium that fateful day, a guest speaker in the Billy Graham Crusade when he told the Philly faithful of Brown’s death. He planned on talking about his faith but instead, had to deliver news that made Jesus himself sob like a baby. Jerome Brown, well on his way to becoming perhaps the finest defensive lineman to ever play, was killed in an automobile accident.

    He was 27 years of age.

    We think of the “27 club” as being something for musicians but Jerome Brown falls into that category just as much as Jimi Hendrix or Kurt Cobain. Buddy Ryan is on record having said that he would’ve won every game had he had 45 Jerome Brown’s. That’s remarkable praise coming from someone who’s coached many a remarkable Football players.

    The thing about Brown was that he was terrific against both the run and pass. Defensive Tackles predominately are there to stop the running back. If one can rush the passer on top of that, it makes for an overwhelming and frightening ability to turn the tide. I know he had Reggie White right next to him but Jerome Brown would have stood on his own without him.

    He was, after all, a first-team All-American at the U.

    With Brown at their disposal, the Eagles became arguably the greatest defense the NFL has ever seen. They went 10-6 in 1991, despite an injury to Randall Cunningham. Had luck been on the side of the Eagles, we might’ve talked about them much like we do about the 2000 Ravens. Sadly, it wasn’t to be as the Redskins went on to win the Super Bowl that season.

    In speaking of the Redskins….

    They too had a once in a lifetime talent whose career was cut tragically short. Unlike Brown, who died in an automobile accident, Sean Taylor was murdered in cold blood. Had the bullet been 1/8 away from where it hit, it would’ve been nothing more than a flesh wound but…it appears the Good Lord called on him much like he did Jerome Brown.

    I personally believe that Sean Taylor could’ve been the best safety to ever play the game. People Lawrence Taylor or Ronnie Lott as maybe the two best defensive players ever. Sean Taylor was like a mix of those two in my eyes. He looked like a linebacker playing safety but could run like a cornerback. He was a terrific form tackler and had unmatched instincts for the game. The league feared him on several different levels. He was the biggest threat in both the pass and run defenses.

    The thing that people had to watch out for was when Taylor got the ball. He was someone who stopped at nothing to return the play for a touchdown. It’s very much in the blood of Miami University to fully execute on a play. Both Brown and Taylor are Hurricane legends and had they lived, they would’ve been surefire Stars for many many years.

    Between the two, I’d say Sean Taylor was the better player. Brown was disruptive down low but Sean Taylor’s versatility and playmaking ability all over the field gives him the edge. I believe he might be the best to ever play the position but with such a small window, it’s impossible to judge. Like Haley’s Comet, they both came and went never to be seen again.

    We can all wonder how things would’ve been different had they enjoyed long and successful careers but I just wanted to take the time to appreciate what they accomplished during their short but brilliant careers. They’re Martyr’s of Football, their legacy unquestioned in what they gave to the game.

    How many players have entered this league inspired by either Sean Taylor or Jerome Brown? How many young men are compared to these two? It’s unprecedented. I’ve yet to see another player play the position quite as Sean Taylor did and while I never did get to see Jerome Brown, I understand the way he played and his player type. To this day, countless players have emulated his style. Aaron Donald anyone?

    For Sean Taylor, he will (in my humble opinion) remain as perhaps the scariest sight in NFL history. At 6’3 and 220 pounds, guys like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens must’ve spent days dreading this match-up. Running backs and Quarterbacks both had to worry about him at all times, at the same time and the safety position will chase his ghost-like Madden chases 2K5.
As for Brown, consider this. What would’ve been his 53rd Birthday just so happened to also be the day the Eagles won their first Super Bowl…how about that?

-By: Thomas P. Braun Jr.