{{Short description|American football player (1954–2020)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography |name=Rush Brown |number=69, 78 |position=Defensive tackle, defensive end |birth_date={{Birth date|1954|6|27|mf=y}} |birth_place=Laurinburg, North Carolina, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|2020|2|6|1954|6|27}} |death_place=Cumming, Georgia, U.S. |height_ft=6 |height_in=2 |weight_lb=257 |high_school=Scotland <br> (Laurinburg, North Carolina) |college=Ball State |draftyear=1980 |draftround=10 |draftpick=255 |pastteams= * St. Louis Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1980|1983}}) * Jacksonville Bulls ({{USFL Year|1984}}) * Arizona Outlaws ({{USFL Year|1985}}) |highlights= * PFWA All-Rookie Team (1980) |statlabel1=Sacks |statvalue1=8.5 |statlabel2=Fumble recoveries |statvalue2=3 |statlabel3=Interceptions |statvalue3=1 |pfr=BrowRu22 }}
'''Rush Brown Jr.''' (June 27, 1954 – February 6, 2020) was an American professional football player who played defensive tackle for four seasons for the National Football League (NFL)'s St. Louis Cardinals.<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowRu22.htm Rush Brown NFL & AFL Football Statistics – Pro-Football-Reference.com]</ref> He started 32 of his first 41 games, but appeared in only six of his last 16 games (with 1 start). Brown was selected to the NFL All-Rookie Team in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/01/27/Defensive-tackle-Rush-Brown-of-the-NFL-St-Louis/5372444027600/ | title=Defensive tackle Rush Brown of the NFL St. Louis. }}</ref>
Brown attended Scotland High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army right after high school. He was stationed in Europe, and was assigned to the 60th Ordnance Group in Zweibrucken, Germany. Brown was invited to play football in the U.S. Air Force, since there was no football team in the U.S. Army. He later was named the 1975 Player of the Year in the United States Air Force of Europe football league. While playing football for the U.S. Air Force, Brown attracted attention from a professor who encouraged him to attend Ball State University. Rush ended his military career as a second lieutenant before pursuing an education at Ball State.
Brown died on February 6, 2020, at age 65.<ref>[https://www.purcellfuneralhomes.com/obituary/Rush-BrownJr Rush Brown Jr.]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals 1980 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Rush}} Category:1954 births Category:2020 deaths Category:American football defensive linemen Category:Ball State Cardinals football players Category:St. Louis Cardinals (football) players Category:Jacksonville Bulls players Category:Arizona Outlaws players Category:United States Air Force officers Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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