Cliff Brown (American football)

Clifton "Cliff" Brown, Sr. (June 14, 1952 – December 10, 2012) was an American football quarterback for the University of Notre Dame, and was the first African American quarterback to start a game for the prestigious program.

Following the graduation of future Hall-of-Famer Joe Theismann in 1971, Irish head coach Ara Parseghian selected Pat Steenberge to start the first two games in the fall. Following a leg injury to Steenberge, backup Bill Etter would start the next two games, but then he too would go down with a knee injury that would end his season. Cliff Brown was then forced into action in the second quarter against Miami, and would lead the team to a 17-0 victory. Brown would start all games through the remainder of the season, losing only to USC and LSU.

The following year, Brown would yield the starting job to sophomore Tom Clements, but would remain the primary backup over the next two years. Brown's last touchdown at Notre Dame would come in the final regular-season game of the 1973 national championship season—a 6-yard run at the end of a 44-0 rout of Miami. Brown would be selected in the 17th round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles as a running back, but he would not make the final roster.

Brown died on December 10, 2012 at the age of 60.