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More than just the delta can be found
in Yazoo City, Mississippi. A city known to have produced
more then a couple folks of renown. To name a few there
is Haley Barbour the politician, Jerry Clower a humorist
and actor, Skip James world wide singer, Willie Morris
author of several best sellers, and more home town stars.
On December 2, 1940 a future NFL Hall Of Fame star was
added to the mix. His name is Willie Brown.
Willie attended Grambling College and
graduated in 1963. While a star grid iron player there
he gained little attention. The Texas Oilers let him
try out, but he didn't last the summer. However, he
did play the season with the Denver Broncos. They saw
something in the young cornerback that bore a second
look. He lasted with the Broncos till the end of the
1966 season. After that he joined the Oakland Raiders,
made history, and no other team ever had a chance to
sign him as a player.
One of the tactics he took to new levels
was the "Bump and Run"style of coverage. While he didn't
invent it, he sure made it work well. Unlike the usual
man to man coverage this one allowed not so tacit bumping.
A contact move where the defender tried to alter and
set the direction the receiver was going. This is the
very simple version of explaining it. However, this
type of coverage can not possibly work unless the defensive
cornerback is at least as fast as the man he was covering.
Brown was fast. Brown had innate football sense. Brown
intercepted balls like they were being thrown to him.
During a playing career that lasted till
1978 he tacked more then memorable runbacks to his collection
of records. In 1969 he was named to the All Time AFL
Team as cornerback. He was All Pro seven times. He played
in five All Star Games. He was a good part of the reason
Oakland made it to the Super Bowl twice. In Super Bowl
XI he returned a 75 yard interception for a touchdown.
A Super Bowl record even today.
On July 28, 1984 he was inducted into
the NFL Hall of Fame.
Though not playing anymore Oakland retained
him as their backfield coach from 1979 to 1988. During
that time he went to the big game in Super Bowl XV as
a coach. In 1991 he became the head football coach for
California's State University at their Long Beach Island
campus. He then joined Los Angeles Jordan High School
in 1994. Then in 1995 the Raiders asked him to come
back. Things were not the same without him. As such
he returned as Director of Staff Development. He is
still there. Two years after returning he was on the
field part time coaching cornerbacks. Oakland went onto
another Super Bowl a few years later.
Coached in two Super Bowls, played in
two, won in three. Not bad for the man from Yazoo City.
Must be something in that delta water.
Mike Toone
Sports Lore Editor
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