Former NFL and MLB player Tom Brown has died at age 84, the UK Daily Mail reported. Brown is best known for the interception that clinched the 1966 championship game for the Green Bay Packers.
Brown was a remarkable athlete who played professional baseball and football. His loss was memorialized by the former players of the National Football League Players Association on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
"Today, we mourn the loss of former player & two-time Super Bowl Champ, Tom Brown. As a passionate & determined two-sport athlete, and beloved member of the Former Player Tampa Chapter, his brothers and his union are sending love and comfort to all of Tom's loved ones," the official NFLPA Former Players account posted on X, formerly Twitter, on
Today, we mourn the loss of former player & two-time Super Bowl Champ, Tom Brown. As a passionate & determined two-sport athlete, and beloved member of the Former Player Tampa Chapter, his brothers and his union are sending love and comfort to all of Tom's loved ones. #rip pic.twitter.com/5bmuH2xNr2
— NFLPA Former Players (@NFLPAFmrPlayers) April 30, 2025
The Laureldale, Pennsylvania, native also played basketball before initially settling on football and baseball as his main sports. He moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, located just outside of Washington, D.C., during his high school years.
After graduating, Brown attended the University of Maryland, where he continued playing football and baseball. Brown would ultimately back away from the sport after visiting the Packers locker room.
"These guys are big," Brown observed during his visit at the 1962 NFL championship game. "I'm going to play baseball," Brown added.
He joined the Washington Senators, skipping out on his last season of college baseball. He ended his career with a home run, 17 hits, four RBIs for a .147 batting average.
The Green Bay Packers picked Brown in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft, while the Buffalo Bills chose him in the third round in the AFL Draft. He initially passed on the opportunity to continue playing baseball, but joined the Packers after the Senators sent him down to the minors.
Brown stuck with Green Bay for five seasons and one season with the Washington Redskins. However, it was a remarkable run for Brown, who was part of the team for coach Vince Lombardi's stellar win in three consecutive NFL championships.
From 1965 to 1967, Green Bay dominated, and Brown played an integral role in the team's success. During the 1966 NFL title game, the Packers were up 34-27 against the Dallas Cowboys in the last minute of the game.
In the final play, Dallas had possession at the 2-yard line and could have tied up the game. Instead, Brown intercepted a pass to Don Meredith, thus ending the game and securing the win. Brown would make a similar game-saving play in the 1967 playoffs that allowed Green Bay to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Packers would go on to win their third NFL title against Dallas with Brown on the team. In 1969, Brown followed Lombardi to play his final season for Washington. He ended his career with six fumble recoveries and 13 interceptions over 71 regular-season games, plus the championship plays.
Brown's contributions to his team and the sport were significant. Although he passed away at an advanced age, sports enthusiasts will still mourn his loss.
