Brown was drafted by the Giants out of Morgan State University in the 1953 NFL Draft after being noticed by the Giants in the Pittsburgh Courier, an African-Americannewspaper that named him to their 1952 Black All-American team. On the offensive line, Brown pass blocked for quarterbacksCharlie Conerly and Y. A. Tittle and run blocked for backs like Alex Webster and Frank Gifford. Despite his 6'3", 255-pound frame, Brown was very quick on his feet which was very unusual for his era. He is considered one of the greatest "sleeper picks" in NFL history as he was drafted in 27th round of the NFL Draft.[1]
Brown was named to the Pro Bowl a total of nine times and helped the Giants win the NFL Championship in 1956.
Following the 1965 season, Brown retired, suffering from chronic phlebitis. He became the Giants' assistant offensive line coach in 1966 and was promoted to offensive line coach in 1969. He remained with the Giants organization in the scouting department for many years.
In 1999, he was ranked number 57 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.