Green Bay Packers: Who wore #78 best?

Bob Brown … who was that guy?

Our Bob Brown of focus today was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers where he languished for two years and was cut twice. After the first cut, he went to play for the Wheeling Ironmen of the Continental Football League. And, according to a story from the files of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “That’s where Pat Peppler, former Packer personnel director from 1963-’71, first saw film of Brown.”

After the second cut from the 49ers, Brown went to Canada for a stint with Toronto of the CFL.

According to Maxymuk’s profile on Brown, “The Packers signed him and he made the team in 1966, filling in at both defensive end and defensive tackle. At 6-5, 275 pounds, he was an imposing figure at the time and he would balloon much heavier on occasion.”

Brown was a huge man for the time and in fact had a difficult time keeping his weight off throughout his career. A one point, he was over 300 pounds, but played the bulk of his career at about 280.

Maxymuk wrote more about Brown:

"[Brown’s] best attributes were toughness, quickness and relentlessness. In one game against he Vikings he was struggling with pain in his leg for the whole game. The next day, when the leg was swollen, X-rays were taken and revealed that he had played that game on a broken leg. In the 1972 offseason, Bob was shot in the neck while driving after a dispute over a card game. He went on to play so well in the ensuing season that he went to the Pro Bowl. He played the game all-out. He was known to power straight ahead on every play, ignoring all fakes, and made more than his share of big plays."

Here are Bob Brown’s career statistics:

Next: One of the biggest headcases in Packers history

The following players wore #78 for the Green Bay Packers: