Former Eagles RB Timmy Brown Dies at Age 82

Timmy Brown, one of the best running backs in Philadelphia Eagles history, died on Tuesday in Southern California. He was 82.

Brown spent his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers (1959), Eagles (1960-67) and Baltimore Colts (1968), rushing for 3,862 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was just as dangerous as a receiver, catching 235 passes for 3,399 yards and 26 scores.

Philadelphia Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffery Lurie released the following statement following Brown's death:

"Timmy Brown was an all-time great Eagle and one of the most dynamic multipurpose players of his era. He overcame many obstacles in his life to enjoy success both as an athlete and as an entertainer. A three-time Pro Bowler and member of our 1960 NFL Championship team, Timmy excelled as a running back and return specialist with his incredible athleticism and signature versatility. He was one of the most exciting players to watch during his career. Those who knew him well have said they will remember him for his outgoing, uplifting personality and the connections he built with his teammates and the community. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this time."

Sanders, a three-time Pro Bowler, isn't remembered in NFL lore as one of the best running backs of his era, but the Eagles weren't always a powerhouse in those years, either.

"If Timmy played in Green Bay or Oakland, there's no telling what kind of numbers he would've put up," former Eagles safety Ron Medved told Ray Didinger of PhiladelphiaEagles.com. "He just didn't have the supporting cast in Philadelphia. It was a shame. There was no prettier, no shiftier or more versatile runner in the league. He put up great numbers in Philadelphia, but he would've set [NFL] records with a better team."

Even the legendary Vince Lombardi underestimated Brown.

"When I walked in his office, Coach Lombardi looked me up and down and said, 'You don't look like a football player,'" Brown once recounted, per Didinger. "I asked him, 'Well, sir, what does a football player look like?' He thought I was being cocky but I really wasn't. I just didn't know what he meant. But I guess we got off on the wrong foot."

Lombardi cut him after one game, but Brown had the last laugh, winning the NFL title with the Eagles the next year over Lombardi's Packers. He ultimately had a successful career in Philadelphia, one that might have been legendary had the team been better.

Eagles tight end Pete Retzlaff compared him to a "Gale Sayers-type back," per Didinger, while Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly noted that Dallas Cowboys would "spend the whole week talking about how we had to stop Brown and he'd still find a way to hurt us either by running the ball or returning a kick."

After his playing career Brown worked as an actor, appearing in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and Nashville, among other acting credits, before becoming a probation officer at Los Angeles' Camp Kilpatrick Juvenile Detention Center.