Paul Brown, a football innovator who founded the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals and built them into professional powers, died yesterday morning. He was 82 years old.
Allan Heim, a spokesman for the Bengals, said Mr. Brown died from complications caused by pneumonia, at his home in Cincinnati.
He’s certainly one of the key figures in professional sports,” said Ken Anderson, a former Bengals quarterback. “Football would not be what it is without him. He was always concerned about his guys after football. Football was
just a steppingstone. He wanted you to prepare for your life’s work.” Winner at Many Levels
Although Mr. Brown was a team owner and a general manager during his long and successful career, it was as a coach that he made his mark. He was a winner at every level of the game: high school, college, the military and the professional leagues.
Leave a Reply