NFL Greatest Unsung Heroes In History of All 32 Teams
By Erik Lambert
Pittsburgh Steelers
55. . TE-RT. Pittsburgh Steelers. Larry Brown . 27. player
One of the great tragedies of the NFL and sports in general is that sometimes the most unselfish players are the ones who never get the glory. They’re too focused on sacrificing for the good of the team that the fans can’t stop to appreciate what they’ve done. Often these men are most fondly remembered by coaches who understood their work.
More people in Pittsburgh should add Larry Brown to the list of great names on that transcendent Steelers team of the 1970s. They never really noticed but he had a profound impact. During his early career, he was a tight end. While he was never a major factor in the passing game, he saved his best for big moments. His touchdown in Super Bowl IX put the game away for the Steelers’ first championship.
By 1977 the coaches came to him with a request: that he shift to play right tackle. Brown agreed and became their primary starter on both the 1978 and 1979 Super Bowl teams that averaged over 30 points per game in both of those playoff runs. Two rings as a tight end. Two as tackle. Not a lot of players can say they did something like that.