View source for Lomas Brown

{{Short description|American football player (born 1963)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Lomas Brown
| image       = 1988 Lions Police - 09 Lomas Brown (Lomas Brown crop).jpg
| image_size  =
| alt         = 
| caption     = Brown playing for the Detroit Lions, circa 1987
| number      = 75, 76
| position    = [[Offensive tackle]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1963|3|30|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Miami, Florida]], U.S.
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 4
| weight_lbs  = 282
| high_school = [[Miami Springs High School|Miami Springs]] {{nowrap|([[Miami Springs, Florida]])}}
| college     = [[Florida Gators football|Florida]]
| draftyear   = 1985
| draftround  = 1
| draftpick   = 6
| pastteams   =
* [[Detroit Lions]] ({{NFL Year|1985}}–{{NFL Year|1995}})
* [[Arizona Cardinals]] ({{NFL Year|1996}}–{{NFL Year|1998}})
* [[Cleveland Browns]] ({{NFL Year|1999}})
* [[New York Giants]] ({{NFL Year|2000}}–{{NFL Year|2001}})
* [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] ({{NFL Year|2002}})
| highlights  =
* [[Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl XXXVII|XXXVII]])
* First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1995 All-Pro Team|1995]])
* 4× Second-team All-Pro ([[1989 All-Pro Team|1989]], [[1990 All-Pro Team|1990]], [[1991 All-Pro Team|1991]],  [[1994 All-Pro Team|1994]])
* 7× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1991 Pro Bowl|1990]]–[[1997 Pro Bowl|1996]])
* [[PFWA All-Rookie Team]] ([[PFWA All-Rookie Team#1985|1985]])
* [[Pride of the Lions]]
* [[Detroit Lions 75th Anniversary Team]]
* [[Detroit Lions#Lions All-Time Team|Detroit Lions All-Time Team]]
* [[Southeastern Conference football individual awards#Jacobs Blocking Trophy|Jacobs Blocking Trophy]] (1984)
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1984 College Football All-America Team|1984]])
* First-team [[List of All-SEC football teams|All-SEC]] ([[1984 All-SEC football team|1984]])
* Second-team All-SEC ([[1983 All-SEC football team|1983]])
* [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members|University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame]]
| statleague  = NFL
| statlabel1  = Games played
| statvalue1  = 263
| statlabel2  = Games started
| statvalue2  = 251
| statlabel3  = [[Fumble]]s recovered
| statvalue3  = 3
| pfr         = BrowLo00
| CollegeHOF  = 2448 
}}

'''Lomas Brown Jr.''' (born March 30, 1963) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was an [[offensive tackle]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for 18 seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.  Brown played [[college football]] for the [[Florida Gators football|Florida Gators]], receiving consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] honors.  A first-round pick in the [[1985 NFL draft]], he played professionally for the [[Detroit Lions]] and four other NFL teams.  He is currently a [[color analyst]] for Lions radio broadcasts on [[WXYT-FM|WXYT 97.1 The Ticket]], as well as a commentator and analyst for [[ESPN]] and other television and radio networks.

== Early life ==

Brown was born in [[Miami, Florida]].<ref name="pfrprofile">{{Cite web |title=Lomas Brown Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowLo00.htm |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>  He attended [[Miami Springs High School]] in Miami Springs, Florida,<ref name=dbfprofile>databaseFootball.com. Players, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100205200950/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BrownLom01  Lomas Brown]}}.  Retrieved June 1, 2010.</ref> where he was a stand-out offensive lineman for the Miami Springs Golden Hawks high school football team.  In 2007, the [[Florida High School Athletic Association]] (FHSAA) recognized Brown as one of the 33 all-time greatest Florida high school football players of the last 100 years by naming him to its "[[FHSAA's All-Century Team|All-Century Team]]."<ref>"[http://www.fhsaa.org/news/2007/1212  FHSAA announces 33-member All-Century football team]," Florida High School Athletic Association (December 12, 2007).  Retrieved May 26, 2011.</ref>

== College career ==

Brown accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the [[University of Florida]] in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach [[Charley Pell]] and coach [[Galen Hall]]'s [[Florida Gators football]] teams from [[1981 Florida Gators football team|1981]] to [[1984 Florida Gators football team|1984]].<ref name=ufmediaguide>''[http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2012/media_guide.pdf  2012 Florida Football Media Guide] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527130648/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2012/media_guide.pdf |date=May 27, 2013 }}'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 76, 81, 87, 89, 93, 95, 97, 98, 101, 104, 116, 176, 185 (2012).  Retrieved September 16, 2012.</ref>  He [[starting lineup|started]] 34 games in his college career at Florida, all at tackle.<ref name=ufmediaguide/>  Brown was a team captain, a first-team [[List of All-SEC football teams|All-Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) selection and a consensus first-team All-American, and the winner of the [[Jacobs Blocking Trophy]] recognizing the best blocker in the SEC during his senior year in 1984.<ref name=ufmediaguide/><ref>''2012 NCAA Football Records Book'', [http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2012/Awards.pdf  Award Winners], National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 9 & 14 (2012).  Retrieved September 14, 2012.</ref>  He anchored the Gators' outstanding [[offensive line]], memorably dubbed "The Great Wall of Florida," and which included Brown, Phil Bromley, Billy Hinson, [[Crawford Ker]] and [[Jeff Zimmerman (American football)|Jeff Zimmerman]] in 1984.  Behind the [[blocking (American football)|blocking]] of Brown and his Great Wall teammates, the Gators' quarterback [[Kerwin Bell]], [[fullback (American football)|fullback]] [[John L. Williams (American football)|John L. Williams]] and [[halfback (American football)|halfback]] [[Neal Anderson]] led the Gators to a 9–1–1 overall win–loss record and won their first SEC championship with a conference record of 5–0–1.  (The title was later vacated by the SEC university presidents because of NCAA rules violations committed by Charley Pell and the Gators coaching staff between [[1979 Florida Gators football team|1979]] and [[1983 Florida Gators football team|1983]].)  Brown was inducted into the [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members|University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame]] as a "Gator Great" in 1995.<ref>F Club, Hall of Fame, [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame/greats  Gator Greats].  Retrieved December 13, 2014.</ref><ref>Antonya English, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tb5YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c-wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5936,1412187&dq=university-of-florida+hall-of-fame&hl=en  Carlson calls UF induction top thrill]," ''The Gainesville Sun'', pp. 1 & 6 (April 7, 1995).  Retrieved July 23, 2011.</ref>  As part of its 2006 article series about the top 100 players of the first 100 years of Florida football, ''The Gainesville Sun'' recognized him as the No. 8 all-time Gator player.<ref>Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "[http://www.gainesville.com/article/20060826/GATORS70/60825005  No. 8 Lomas Brown]," ''The Gainesville Sun'' (August 26, 2006).  Retrieved March 31, 2013.</ref>

While Brown was a student at Florida, he was initiated as a member of [[Phi Beta Sigma]] [[Fraternities and sororities|Fraternity]] ([[List of Phi Beta Sigma chapters|Zeta Kappa]] Chapter).  He later returned to the university during the NFL off-season to complete his bachelor's degree in health and human performance in 1996.

== Professional career ==

The [[Detroit Lions]] selected Brown in the first round (sixth pick overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1985 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1985/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He played for the Lions for 11 seasons ({{NFL Year|1985}}–{{NFL Year|1995}}).<ref name=nflprofile>National Football League, Historical Players, [http://www.nfl.com/players/lomasbrown/profile?id=BRO548964  Lomas Brown].  Retrieved June 1, 2010.</ref>  In his long professional career, he also played for the [[Arizona Cardinals]] ({{NFL Year|1996}}–{{NFL Year|1998}}), the [[Cleveland Browns]] ({{NFL Year|1999}}), the [[New York Giants]] ({{NFL Year|2000}}–{{NFL Year|2001}}), and the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] ({{NFL Year|2002}}),<ref name=nflprofile/> with whom he won a [[Super Bowl]] before retiring after 18 seasons in the NFL.  Brown was a remarkably consistent starter in his unusually long-lived career, playing in 263 games and starting 251 of them, and was named to the NFC [[Pro Bowl]] team seven straight seasons from [[1990 Pro Bowl|1990]] to [[1996 Pro Bowl|1996]].<ref name=pfrprofile/>

Brown is probably remembered most from his years in Detroit, where he gained the reputation as one of the league's premier offensive tackles.  He was a pivotal piece on the offensive line that blocked for perhaps the greatest running back of all-time ([[Barry Sanders]]).  Brown was one of the most durable offensive linemen in the Detroit Lions' history, starting all but one of the 164 games that he played for the Lions.<ref name=pfrprofile/>

Along with [[Kevin Glover]], Brown was a key blocker on a line that paved the way for Sanders, who claimed NFL rushing titles in {{NFL Year|1990}} and {{NFL Year|1994}}.  He blocked for Sanders for seven seasons ({{NFL Year|1989}}–{{NFL Year|1995}}), and Sanders accumulated 10,172 yards (an average of 4.9 yards per carry) and 73 rushing [[touchdown]]s during that time.

Brown was a member of Lions teams that made the playoffs in {{NFL Year|1991}}, {{NFL Year|1993}}, {{NFL Year|1994}} and {{NFL Year|1995}}, and he was a member of the 1991 and 1993 squads that won the NFC Central division title.  In 1991, the Lions set a franchise high with 12 regular season wins and earned a berth in the 1991 NFC Championship Game. During the [[1995–96 NFL playoffs|1995-96 playoffs]], Brown guaranteed a victory over the [[Philadelphia Eagles]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lions' Guarantee Incites The Eagles Lomas Brown Assures A Win; Philadelphia Says 'We'll See' |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/dec/30/lions-guarantee-incites-the-eagles-lomas-brown/ |website=Spokesman.com}}</ref> The Eagles opened the game with 51–7 run. The Lions went on to lose the game 37–58.

Brown was also a charismatic and respected leader on the team, who graciously donated a great deal of time, energy and money to many charitable causes throughout the [[Metro Detroit]] area.

On October 30, 2023, Brown was inducted into the Detroit Lions Hall of Fame, known as the Pride of the Lions.

== Life after the NFL ==

Since his retirement from the NFL, Brown has spent some time with the [[NFL Network]] and [[ESPNEWS]] as an analyst and also co-hosts a sports radio show for [[WXYT-FM]] in [[Detroit, Michigan]].  He has also served as an analyst on ''[[ESPN First Take]]'', and is a co-host of the segment "Law Offices of Brooks and Brown." In 2018 he was named as the color analyst for the Detroit Lions radio broadcasts on [[WJR]], replacing [[Jim Brandstatter]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/07/10/detroit-lions-radio-jim-brandstatter-wjr-fired/771225002/|title=Detroit Lions radio: Jim Brandstatter out, Lomas Brown in on WJR-AM|last=Crawford|first=Kirkland|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=July 10, 2018|access-date=August 17, 2018}}</ref>

During 2012, Brown served as an assistant coach for the Andover Barons football team of [[Andover High School (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)|Andover High School]] in [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan]].

On December 22, 2012, Brown admitted during an interview on the SVP and Russillo show on [[ESPN Radio]] that he purposefully failed to block [[Green Bay Packers]] defensive end [[Sean Jones (defensive end)|Sean Jones]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Biggs|first=Brad|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/lomas-brown-scott-mitchell-put-194200845--nfl.html|title=Lomas Brown, Scott Mitchell put bizarre story behind them|publisher=[[Yahoo! Sports]]|date=February 18, 2013|access-date=February 18, 2013}}</ref> during a 1994 game so teammate and quarterback [[Scott Mitchell (quarterback)|Scott Mitchell]] would get injured and be forced to leave the game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://deadspin.com/5970802/the-lions-lomas-brown-says-he-deliberately-let-qb-scott-mitchell-get-injured-in-1994 |title=The Lions' Lomas Brown Says He Deliberately Let QB Scott Mitchell Get Injured In 1994 |date=December 22, 2012 |access-date=December 27, 2012}}</ref>  Mitchell's finger was broken on the play and he left the game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20121226/SPORTS03/312260059/Lomas-Brown-Buffalo-Bills |title=Harsh words for Lomas Brown's admission.}}</ref>  Mitchell was taken aback by Brown's comments, remarking, "I had Lomas in my home. . . .  I'm dumbfounded that he would do such a thing. . . .  [F]or him to allow someone to take a shot at a teammate, that's crazy."<ref name="Lomas Brown regrets whiffed block">{{cite web|title=Lomas Brown regrets whiffed block|date=December 27, 2012 |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8783859/lomas-brown-former-detroit-lions-offensive-lineman-current-espn-analyst-regrets-allowing-injury-scott-mitchell|access-date=December 27, 2012}}</ref>

Less than a week after the interview, Brown expressed remorse during an episode of ''[[ESPN First Take]]'', saying "It's one play out of the 18,000 that I regret."  He did not deny his original comments: "I'm not going to retract, I'm not going to sit here and make excuses . . .  The one thing I can say is I should have been more tactful at how I said that.  That was wrong on my part.  I should have humbly said that.  It came off boastful, and I shouldn't have said it that way.  I said it, I can't take it back, but I shouldn't have said it the way I said it."<ref name="Lomas Brown regrets whiffed block"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Hanzus|first=Dan|title=Lomas Brown regrets letting Scott Mitchell get injured|website=[[NFL.com]] |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/lomas-brown-regrets-letting-scott-mitchell-get-injured-0ap1000000117686|access-date=December 27, 2012}}</ref>

Mitchell would eventually forgive Brown, with both indicating, after reviewing footage of the play in question (as well as considering other details of the game that Brown got wrong) that Brown didn't actually miss his block, and that Brown may have fabricated the story to further his career with ESPN at the time. Brown called it a moment where “I blanked out...I started ranting and raving about what I did. … Until I saw the play I actually thought I did it.”<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021/6/25/22549779/scott-mitchell-hated-bobby-ross-so-much-he-considered-beaning-him-in-2000 | title=Scott Mitchell hated Bobby Ross so much he considered beaning him in 2000 | date=June 25, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Briggs |first1=Brad |title=LOMAS BROWN, SCOTT MITCHELL PUT BIZARRE STORY BEHIND THEM |url=https://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2008-2018-nfp-archive/latest-nfl-news/lomas-brown-scott-mitchell-put-bizarre-story-behind-them/ |website=National Football Post |date=February 18, 2013 |access-date=26 November 2023}}</ref>

== See also ==

{{Portal|American football|Biography|College football}}
* [[1984 College Football All-America Team]]
* [[Florida Gators football, 1980–89]]
* [[List of Detroit Lions players]]
* [[List of Florida Gators football All-Americans]]
* [[List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft]]
* [[List of New York Giants players]]
* [[List of Phi Beta Sigma brothers]]
* [[Southeastern Conference football individual awards#Jacobs Blocking Trophy|List of SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy winners]]
* [[List of University of Florida alumni]]
* [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members]]

== References ==

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Bibliography ==

* Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007).  {{ISBN|0-7948-2298-3}}.
* Golenbock, Peter, ''Go Gators!  An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory'', Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002).  {{ISBN|0-9650782-1-3}}.
* Hairston, Jack, ''Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told'', Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002).  {{ISBN|1-58261-514-4}}.
* McCarthy, Kevin M., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_Tk-IQepI6cC  Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football]'', Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000).  {{ISBN|978-0-7385-0559-6}}.
* Nash, Noel, ed., ''The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football'', Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998).  {{ISBN|1-57167-196-X}}.

== External links ==

* {{Twitter}}

{{1984 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Detroit Lions}}
{{Pride of the Lions}}
{{Lions75th}}
{{Detroit Lions All-Time Team}}
{{LionsFirstPick}}
{{Lions1985DraftPicks}}
{{1985 NFL Draft}}
{{Super Bowl XXXVII}}
{{ESPN NFL Personalities}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Lomas}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American football offensive tackles]]
[[Category:American sports radio personalities]]
[[Category:Arizona Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Browns players]]
[[Category:Detroit Lions announcers]]
[[Category:Detroit Lions players]]
[[Category:Florida Gators football players]]
[[Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:NFL announcers]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Miami]]
[[Category:Miami Springs Senior High School alumni]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]