Charles Edward Brown was an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 and punter

Punter (football position)

A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...

 in the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

.

Prior to the NFL

Brown went to high school in San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...

, and Hartnell College

Hartnell College

Hartnell Community College is a 2-year community college in Salinas, California, USA. It was founded in 1920 as Salinas Junior College, and renamed in 1948 for William Edward Petty Hartnell...

 in Salinas, California

Salinas, California

Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...

. He played for the University of San Francisco

University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...

 Dons

San Francisco Dons

The San Francisco Dons is the nickname of the athletic teams at the University of San Francisco .-History:Athletics at USF dates back to its founding in 1855, when founder Anthony Maraschi, S.J. organized ball games as recreation for the first students...

 through 1951. On his senior year (1951), he quarterbacked the Dons to an undefeated 9-0 season, but the team did not receive a Bowl

Bowl game

In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...

 invitation, largely due to racism towards the black players on the team. Despite the increasing integration of college and pro football, the major bowls that year did not select teams that had black players, or they asked the teams to not bring their black players. The Dons refused to send a white-only squad, so they were snubbed. The 1951 Dons featured Ollie Matson

Ollie Matson

Ollie Genoa Matson II was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional American football running back who played in the National Football League, in 1952 and from 1954 to 1966...

 and Burl Toler

Burl Toler

Burl Abron Toler, Sr. was an American football official in the National Football League for 24 seasons from 1965 to 1989. He served as a field judge and head linesman throughout his career and is most notable for being the first African-American official in the NFL...

, both superb players who happened to be African-American. Matson played with great success in the NFL and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

. Toler went on to become the first black official

Official (American football)

In American football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.During professional and college football games, seven officials operate on the field...

 in the NFL. The 1951 Dons are sometimes considered the greatest collection of players ever on one college team. Besides Matson, Toler, and Brown, the Dons had Gino Marchetti

Gino Marchetti

Gino John Marchetti is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. A defensive end, he played in 1952 for the Dallas Texans and from 1953 to 1966 for the Baltimore Colts.-Early years:...

, Bob St. Clair

Bob St. Clair

Robert Bruce St. Clair, nicknamed "The Geek" is a former San Francisco American football player known for fine play and eating raw beef. Because of his eccentricities, his teammates nicknamed him "The Geek".St...

, Dick Stanfel

Dick Stanfel

Richard Anthony "Dick" Stanfel is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of San Francisco and was drafted in the second round of the 1951 NFL Draft...

, and five other players who made the NFL. In addition, the Dons' head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 Joe Kuharich

Joe Kuharich

Joseph Lawrence Kuharich was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of San Francisco from 1948 to 1951 and at the University of Notre Dame from 1959 to 1962, compiling a career college football record of 43–37...

 went on to coach in the NFL and the Dons' athletic news director (publicist) was none other than Pete Rozelle

Pete Rozelle

Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....

. Despite their great success (or maybe because of it), USF discontinued its football program after the 1951 season due to the high cost of running a top-notch football team.

Chicago Bears Years

Brown was drafted by George Halas

George Halas

George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...

' Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in the sixth round of the 1952 NFL Draft

1952 NFL Draft

The 1952 National Football League Draft was held on January 17, 1952. Picks made by New York Yanks were assigned to the new Dallas Texans.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:...

. But Brown was drafted by the Marines

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 and spent two years in service. He did play for the Camp Pendleton

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...

 football squad. Brown began playing in 1954 as the third string

Roster

A roster is a list of names of people involved with an organization of some kind.A roster can be a list of people and the times when they are required to work or a list of students in a classroom....

 quarterback for the Bears, behind George Blanda

George Blanda

George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...

 and Zeke Bratkowski

Zeke Bratkowski

Edmund Raymond "Zeke" Bratkowski is a former All-American quarterback at the University of Georgia from 1952 to 1953. He also had a fourteen year career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, L.A. Rams and Green Bay Packers, followed by a 26-year coaching career...

. In 1955, with Bratkowski in the military, Brown beat out Blanda for the starting

Starting lineup

A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...

 job and led the Bears to an 8-4 record and a very close second place finish to the Los Angeles Rams

St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...

. Brown developed a reputation as a long-ball throwing, downfield quarterback, connecting often with Harlon Hill

Harlon Hill

Harlon Junius Hill was a standout player at Lauderdale County High School and later as an offensive end at Florence State Teachers College, now known as the University of North Alabama, being named an NAIA All-American in his senior year...

, who led the league with 9 touchdown

Touchdown

A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...

 receptions

Reception (American football)

In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...

. Brown had his finest season in 1956, playing for new Bears' head coach Paddy Driscoll

Paddy Driscoll

John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was a professional American football quarterback. Driscoll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and is a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team...

 (Halas was still owner and GM and would soon return as coach). Brown led the league that year in passing, completing 96 of 168 passes for 1,667 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions

Interception (football)

An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...

. He had an amazing 9.9 yards per attempt. Hill remained his favorite target, catching 47 passes for 1,128 yards (a 24.0 yard per catch average), and 11 touchdowns. The Bears won the Western Conference with a 9-2-1 record, leading the league in rushing and scoring while finished second in rushing in rushing defense. They met the New York Giants

New York Giants

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in the 1956 Championship Game

NFL Championship Game, 1956

In the 1956 National Football League Championship Game played at Yankee Stadium in New York City on 30 December 1956, the New York Giants defeated the Chicago Bears 47-7. It was the 24th annual NFL championship game....

 on December 30 at Yankee Stadium. The 1956 game was the second "sneakers" game

NFL Championship Game, 1934

The 1934 National Football League Championship Game, also known as The Sneakers Game, was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City on December 9, 1934. The final score was New York Giants 30, Chicago Bears 13. It was the 2nd annual NFL championship game.A freezing rain the night before the game...

 in Bears-Giants history (the first was in 1934), with the Giants again gaining an advantage by switching to sneakers vice cleats on an icy field. The Giants destroyed the Bears 47-7, intercepting Brown twice, sacking

Quarterback sack

In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...

 him multiple times for -34 yards and shutting down Rick Casares

Rick Casares

Richard Jose "Rick" Casares is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League and the American Football League for twelve seasons in the 1950s and 1960s...

 and the Bears' running attack. The Bears completed 20 of 47 passes for only 247 yards and no touchdowns. It got so bad that the Bears abandoned the T-formation and switched to a single-wing variant in the third quarter. In 1957, the Bears appeared to still be affected by the 1956 title game, slumping to 5-7 with an anemic running attack and a mediocre year by Ed Brown. All of Brown's numbers were down from the previous season. Zeke Bratkowski got back from military service and began to challenge Brown for the quarterback job. In 1958, George Halas took back the coaching job and pushed the Bears back into second place at 8-4, one game behind the Baltimore Colts

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....

. Brown played better, throwing for 1,418 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brown again had a good year in 1959 but the Bears finished at 8-4 again, again second behind Baltimore. Brown passed for a career high 1,881 yards and 13 touchdowns. By 1960, Brown began to slow up and fall out of favor with Halas, so Bratkowski got more and more playing time. Brown completed only 40% of his passes that year as the Bears finished in fifth. In 1961, Brown was benched in favor of newly acquired Billy Wade. Throughout his years with the Bears (except 1961), Brown was their starting punter, leading the league in punts attempted in 1959 with 64.

With the Steelers

Before the 1962 season, Brown was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

 where he remained a back-up, now to Bobby Layne

Bobby Layne

Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...

. Brown got another chance to start in 1963 for the Steelers and, still specializing in the long-ball, had his biggest numbers, completing 168 of 362 passes for 2,982 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. The next year, 1964, Brown played his last year as a starter, throwing for 1,990 yards for the mediocre Steelers. He played one more season as a backup, was waived and picked up by Baltimore late in the season. Brown played in the season finale behind running back Tom Matte

Tom Matte

Thomas Roland Matte was an American football player who played quarterback in college and primarily running back in the NFL in the 1960s and 1970s and earned a Super Bowl Ring. He attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland and is an Eagle Scout...

 who was filling in at quarterback after injuries to both Johnny Unitas

Johnny Unitas

John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...

 and Gary Cuozzo

Gary Cuozzo

Gary Samuel Cuozzo was a former professional American football player. An undrafted quarterback from the University of Virginia, Cuozzo played in 10 NFL seasons from 1963-1972. He began his NFL career on the Baltimore Colts as a backup to Johnny Unitas...

. Brown completed 3 of 5 passes, including an 81-yard touchdown. He was ineligible under existing rules to play in the Colts playoff loss to eventual champion Green Bay

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

. Brown retired after the 1965 season. Brown also punted for the Steelers, starting each year except his last. Brown finished with 949 completions, 1,987 attempts, 15,600 yards, 102 touchdown passes, and 138 interceptions. He rushed for 960 yards and 14 touchdowns during his career. Brown also finished with 498 punts and a 40.5 yard average per punt. At the end of 2006, Brown ranked 137 on the all-time