Lawrence “Larry” Brown, Jr.

Football player Lawrence "Larry" Brown, Jr. was born on September 19, 1947 in Clairton, Pennsylvania to Rosa Lee and Lawrence Brown. Brown was raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1965, he graduated from Schenley High School, where he played baseball and football. Later that year, Brown attended Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas where he served as a blocking back for the school’s football team. In 1967, Brown was recruited by Kansas State University as a blocking back before becoming a running back in his final year.

In 1968, Brown was drafted as a running back by the Washington Redskins, later renamed the Washington Commanders, during the National Football League’s draft. During his first season in 1969, Brown reached a team record by rushing rushed 888 yards. In 1970, Brown became the NFL rushing yards leader with 1,125 yards. In 1973, Brown led the Redskins the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VII against the Miami Dolphins. Brown continued to play for the Redskins until 1976. Over the course of his NFL career, Brown rushed 5,875 yards and had thirty-five rushing touchdowns. In addition to Super Bowl VII, Brown helped lead the Redskins to multiple divisional playoff games. Along with playing in the regular season and playoffs, Brown was selected to play in the Pro Bowl four times. He was also selected for the All-Pro first team twice and the second team once. After eight seasons, Brown left football for a career in finance, real-estate, and disability advocacy.

Brown worked as a salesman for E.F. Hutton, a financial brokerage firm, from 1976 to 1981. He was then hired by the Xerox Corporation as a community affairs manager, where he worked from 1981 to 1993. From 1994 to 2016, Brown served as vice president and a sales associate at NAI Michael, a commercial real estate firm. Additionally, Brown was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve on the National Council on Disability (NCD) in 1989. Brown helped in the passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. He also served as the chairperson of the Minorities with Disabilities Committee of the NCD and represented athletes with disabilities from 1989 to 1991.

Brown was named the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1972. That same year, he won the Bert Bell Award. In 1973, his book, I’ll Always Get Up, was published. Brown was inducted into the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame and the Commanders Ring of Fame and was nominated to the NFL Hall of Fame in 2024. Brown was also recognized for his work on behalf of the disabled community with the NCD’s 1993 Eagle Award.

Brown retired in 2016 and lives in South Carolina. He has two adult daughters.

Larry Brown was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on October 7, 2024.