Gilbert Brown Discusses His Legacy

Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer Gilbert Brown, AKA The Gravedigger, recently discussed his legacy with Tyler Dunne. The big defensive tackle didn’t cite a play, game or his signature move, but rather the way he played the game.

“I played hard and I always was a team player. I never was a guy who would get mad because I didn’t get this play or that play. I always prided myself on taking care of my linebackers and making sure they flowed to the ball. If I had to take on two or three guys at a time so they could do what they needed to do, that’s what I did,” Brown said.

Brown, who played for the Packers from 1993-99 and 2001-03, also spoke about what made the great Packers defenses of the 1990s go. Brown played on a defensive line that featured Reggie White, Sean Jones and Santana Dotson.

Not surprisingly, Brown singled out Packers and Pro Football Hall of Famer White.

“Reggie White was the glue with everything, keeping us together. When you have a leader like that, an unselfish leader who takes the time to sit down with the rookies and do what he has to do to make guys better, it was great to see. He’d pull aside young guys, troubled vets or whoever and talk about life. He was a great leader and I still miss him to this day.

“Sometimes, he didn’t even know what kind of an impact he made. You could be on that field and be dog tired. You’d look down the line and see Reggie standing there with his hands on his hips, waiting on the next snap. It energizes you and gets you ready to go. You say, ‘If he ain’t tired, I can’t be tired.’”

Brown was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2008. White preceded him by two years.