"Touchdown" Eddie Brown
Tim Ball
Thursday June 9, 2005
Word got out about the guy down on the field talking to Barry Wagner. And all of a sudden there was a clamber of fans crowding the railings closest to the field. "Do you know who that is?" Could be heard from twenty feet away. "Eddie," shouted a couple with a ball loaded with autographs. "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie Brown" said a group crowding the rail.
"That guy was the best offensive specialist there was," said one fan to another.
And the smiling Mr. Brown, who seemed overwhelmed that the nervous San Jose crowd was calling his name, grabbed the pen that was offered and started in, fan after fan.
The Georgia Force and San Jose SaberCats players were on the field going through pre-game routines while the retired AFL superstar watched the future of the sport going through their paces.
Those early bird fans were more than happy to get an autograph of another true AFL hero to go along with their Barry Wagner Bobblehead dolls. As Brown handed a precious item to one fan, Wagner turned to reporters down on the field. "This is the best man to ever play this game," said Wagner. "You look around and see all of these young players wanting to leave their mark in touchdowns and realize that they are chasing one guy," said Wagner, and pointing to Brown said, "him." Just a visit to the "all-time" stat pages and that compliment coming from Wagner, who had to pass Brown along the way to the top, holds a lot of weight.
The fans that hold the past, present and future of the AFL in those souvenirs and mementos do not soon forget legends of the league and one trip to the all-time statistics of the AFL proves why Brown drew a crowd long before the game even started.
As reported on AFLRoundhouse.com about Eddie Brown:
Signed with the Firebirds on May 3, 1994... 9-year veteran of the Arena Football League (Albany 1994-2000, Indiana 2001-present)...Widely considered the greatest offensive player in the history of the Arena Football League...missed all but one game during the 2000 season after a brief retirement for personal reasons...Ranks first in AFL History in receiving touchdowns (265), and receptions (790) and second in receiving yards (10,744)...First player ever to win back-to-back scoring titles and FIVE overall as he led the league in '94, '96, '98, '99, and '01...Named AFL Player of the Year in 1994, Offensive Player of the Year in 1996, and ArenaBowl XIII Most Valuable Player in 1999...The Only Player in AFL history to record over 100 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and 35 receiving touchdowns in four consecutive seasons and five out of six...Named to the AFL 15th Anniversary All-Time team following the 2001 season.
Ex-SaberCats Offensive specialist Steve Papin, now a radio personality for KNBR the Ticket 1050 -and no stranger to electrifying AFL crowds – made his way to Brown as soon as he spotted a story. After Papin was finished, it was the guys from ArenaFan Online up next to ask Brown about what he feels about the league and its future.
Interview
AF: How does it feel to be recognized at an arena that has nothing to do with the Firebirds?
EB: I have always appreciated the fans of this league more than they will ever know. By the way Darren Arbet was once a coach with the Firebirds when they were in Albany. Mike Hohensee, Mike Daily, Steve Thonn and later Ed Hotchkiss. Not a bad list of guys I think.
AF: Mr. Brown, did you think the league would grow the way it has? Do you like what is happening with the AFL?
EB: Well, I knew that it was something special as a game and a style of football that can really showcase the overall talent of a football player. As more and more players started trying the league, they found out that it’s a fun game but that takes a lot of ability to play it well. That brings out the competitive nature in a football player and you can see that in the younger and younger players giving the AFL their attention. That is a very good thing.
AF: How do you feel about the new players entering the league?
EB: I hope they don’t forget the guys that went before them and played the game for the love of it. It’s exciting to see the younger players entering the league. Although the AFL still needs to pay its players better, the salaries will only keep getting better. As the game gets more attention, things can only go in the right direction.
AF: Do you think the AFL is doing things right? Do you like the neutral site for the ArenaBowl?
EB: The AFL has to be applauded for moving forward. Though, I don’t know how I really feel about the neutral site ArenaBowl. I think the fans get a better deal with the home field game but then again, a neutral site doesn’t favor one team over the other. I think we will have to see it played out. But I understand about sponsors and being able to set up for the event. That makes sense.
AF: What about NBC’s coverage? Does the AFL style of football translate well on TV?
EB: I am happy that the game is getting such good coverage every weekend. But, this style of football definitely needs to be seen in person and then the game on TV is easier to understand.
AF: As you and Barry Wagner are on the top of most offensive categories in the record books, do you see your records falling anytime soon?
EB: Barry and I are good friends. Almost like brothers really. I call his mom on birthdays and he does the same. We both know that records are made to be broken. Two good things will come out of players achieving what we have achieved, one is that they will be playing a long time and that will be good for fans, and two, is that there will be exciting games to be played. It’s all about the game when you come right down to it.
AF: With that kind of attitude, you sound like a good candidate for a head coach. Are any teams pursuing you as a coach?
EB: I have communicated with a team on the prospect of coaching. I feel I have a good perspective on the game and motivating the younger players to understand the nuances of the arena game is definitely something I want. And coaching in this league is where I want to be.
AF: Is the AFL a minor league or a different style and brand of football on its own?
EB: At one time we played the game almost just for the fun of it. What we got paid was far less than players get now. But as a minor league, I think it is unfair to compare the two leagues because there is more money to be made in the NFL. But, the AFL game is so different and has a life of its own. It is well established that only very talented football players can adjust to the AFL and AFL players have done well in the NFL. But I don’t see the AFL as a minor league of anything.
AF: Can the arena game be improved? There is a lot of talk about the referees making so many questionable calls do you think something like instant replay should be used in the AFL?
EB: The league seems willing to look for improvements. Maybe the rules committee could ask a panel of players and coaches what they think. For example, instant replay wouldn’t really slow down the game because the referees already take a lot of time to confer on a lot of calls during each game anyway.
AF: The AFL turns twenty next season, where do you see the league in twenty years?
EB: I like more cities getting teams and the push towards international teams. The indoor arena game is great for cities all over the world and there are already arenas waiting.
AF: Any advice for football players weighing the decision to play Arena Football?
EB: Play it. For many athletes there is a future in this league and that future looks bright.
AF: Who is going to win the ArenaBowl?
EB: (Laughing), The same one that always does. The one with the most points when time runs out.
Our legends
Eddie Brown is a football legend and deserves to be. Barry Wagner maybe even more so. And Hunkie Cooper, Sherdrick Bonner, Jay Gruden and many, many arena players have earned the right to stand as historic football players in a league that has stood the test of time. Imagine what Mark Grieb will look like in the record books when his helmet is hanging on the wall for good.
Like NASCAR to Indy, the AFL is another brand of football that has the right to stand alongside the NFL and we are seeing that proven as valid with every passing year.
Legendary NFL figures are involved in this year’s ArenaBowl. No, John Elway does not only get my attention for being one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all-time, if not "the" greatest. He gets my applause for bringing in AFL "professionals" to take "his" team to the AFL championship game in three seasons.
When you talk with Doug Plank for thirty seconds (and with him it’s always more like twenty minutes), you don’t even need to know about "the legend of the Chicago Bears 46 Defense," named after Plank. (Google it and see.) You realize Georgia’s Head Coach is as much of a "quality guy" as the kind of players he sought out to be on his team.
In "our" league there are a hundred "quality guys" willing to give as much back as they get. Ask any season ticket holder.
Brown, as do so many other AFL players, deserves to take his place among football players for the ages and hopefully as a future coach of a winning franchise. For Arena Football to cherish and celebrate players like Brown shines a light on everyone connected to the game.
ArenaBowl XIX will direct us all to a whole a new list of AFL legends in the making. With Crush quarterback John Dutton getting his own chance to drive a team all the way and Damien Harrell gathering league honors and an honored place in the big game, the storyline is half written.
The Force chose wisely in Plank and has possibly two of the hottest stars to ever enter the league together in Derek Lee and Troy Bergeron. So chapters to be written are assured. And with the big four of Tampa Bay, Orlando, Arizona and San Jose watching the ArenaBowl for a change, new characters step onto a well-lighted stage.
Players like Eddie Brown brought the league to us literally carried in their arms. And his name is still venerated among fans and players to this day.
Those that value the past of the AFL make the league worth more and more with every new season. The future of the AFL when seen through the eyes of history and the players that are written in that story, is bright indeed.
The newest chapter to be added starts with ArenaBowl XIX.
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
