Less Browne
Encyclopedia
Less Browne was a United States Football League
and Canadian Football League
defensive back for the Pittsburgh Maulers
(USFL), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
, the Ottawa Rough Riders
and the BC Lions
.
Browne signed a contract with the Maulers and started the season on their roster, however, was never activated for game action. He was released after the second week of the season by the Maulers on March 6, 1984 and later that spring signed with the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats
.
Browne holds the CFL and all-pro records for most interceptions in a career with 87. He also holds the record for most interception return yards with 1,508. Browne ranks third in the CFL for career blocked kicks with eight. Browne played in four Grey Cup games (1985, 1986
, 1990
, and 1994
), winning the latter three. He was a six-time CFL All-Star, and was twice runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award
, in 1986
by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and in 1994
by the BC Lions.
in 2002 and in November, 2006 was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players
(#23) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network
/TSN.
He later became an assistant coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
and Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
defensive back for the Pittsburgh Maulers
Pittsburgh Maulers
The Pittsburgh Maulers competed in the 1984 season of the United States Football League. Their most prominent player was first pick overall in the 1984 USFL draft, running back Mike Rozier of Nebraska, who won the Heisman Trophy, collegiate football's most prestigious individual award.They were...
(USFL), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
, the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
and the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
.
Professional career
Browne originally signed as a pro with the USFL's the Pittsburgh Maulers after being drafted in the 13th round (284th overall) by the expansion club in the 1984 Draft (January 4, 1984).Browne signed a contract with the Maulers and started the season on their roster, however, was never activated for game action. He was released after the second week of the season by the Maulers on March 6, 1984 and later that spring signed with the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
.
Browne holds the CFL and all-pro records for most interceptions in a career with 87. He also holds the record for most interception return yards with 1,508. Browne ranks third in the CFL for career blocked kicks with eight. Browne played in four Grey Cup games (1985, 1986
74th Grey Cup
The 74th Grey Cup was the 1986 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Edmonton Eskimos...
, 1990
78th Grey Cup
The 78th Grey Cup was the 1990 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC...
, and 1994
82nd Grey Cup
The 82nd Grey Cup was the 1994 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Baltimore Football Club and the BC Lions at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC. It was the first-ever championship in professional football history to feature a United States-vs-Canada matchup...
), winning the latter three. He was a six-time CFL All-Star, and was twice runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award
CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award
The Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award is annually rewarded to the best defensive player in the Canadian Football League. This is the third-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it is hosted...
, in 1986
1986 CFL season
The 1986 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 33rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 29th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1986:...
by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and in 1994
1994 CFL season
The 1994 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 41st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 37th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1994:...
by the BC Lions.
Post-career
He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of FameCanadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 2002 and in November, 2006 was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players
TSN Top 50 CFL Players
The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the...
(#23) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
/TSN.
He later became an assistant coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.