After a long illness, Brown passed away Monday in Natchez. He was 76. It’s Super Bowl Week in America. Let’s start with Brown. He was part of the legendary Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers teams which won the first two Super Bowls. Green Bay defeated Kansas City 35-10 in 1967’s first Super Bowl and then beat Oakland 33-14 in the second. Brown, who was a valuable player on both of these teams, did not play in either of those games. There is a reason for that. We all know that football can be brutal. Brown was well aware of this fact. Brown missed the Super Bowl because of a knee injury late in his season. Brown could have attended the Los Angeles game with the team, but he chose to stay home and watch the Super Bowl with his friends in Natchez. Brown watched the Super Bowl in 1968 from his hospital bed. Because of what happened to the Packers in their last regular season match. Brown told me this story once. He said, “There was a fumble. I dived into the pile in an effort to grab the ball.” “Something hit my side. It was probably somebody’s knee, but it could have been someone’s helmet. He didn’t know half of the details. He had three broken ribs that had to be taken out. He also had a ruptured stomach, which was also removed. He could have been dead. Before he started the long road of recovery, he lost 51 pounds to 167. This led to a decision. He loved playing for the Packers. Lombardi was someone he admired. He enjoyed the sport’s competition and camaraderie. Brown stated that he had decided enough football was enough. This seems like a wise decision, all these years later. Brown returned to his charming hometown, overlooking the Mississippi River, where he was a leader in the community for the past 50 years. Brown’s Ole Miss career was not without its challenges. However, he still managed to be on several All American teams (including the Associated Press as a senior) and All-SEC teams as both a junior or senior. He was a sophomore in 1962 and played on the Ole Miss’ only unbeaten and untied team. Glynn Griffing was that team’s starting quarterback. He called Brown “a great play, a really difficult player.” Griffing added that Allen was “just a genuine good guy, so kind and nice – so much so that he didn’t fit the mold for a tough, tough-edged football player. He was all business when he got onto the field and he could play.” Brown was a defensive and offensive player at Ole Miss, but he won all his awards and praises as a tight end. Brown was a reliable receiver, catching 51 passes for 584 yard and three touchdowns in his career. He was selected to play in the Chicago Blue-Gray and College All-Star games. During his varsity career, he helped the Rebels to a record of 22-6-3, two Sugar Bowls, and two Southeastern Conference championships. He received honors even after his career was over. Inducted into the Ole Miss Hall of Fame and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, he was also inducted in 1989. Allen Brown was an Ole Miss Rebel. It was a family tradition. Jerry Brown, Jerry’s older brother, was a great tackle at Ole Miss. He also played pro baseball. Alton Brown, a nephew, was also a Rebels player. It goes on. The offensive linemen at Ole Miss were sons Tim and Burkes Brown. Ben Brown, a grandson, earned two varsity letters for his work as an offensive lineman for the Rebels and will be a junior in the coming season. Ben Brown is clearly following in the footsteps of some very big men. The Brown family legacy in Ole Miss Football is just as important as the Pooles and Mannings. Griffing said, “Honestly, there aren’t many people I admire as much as Allen Brown.”_x000D