Late Oilers RB Remembered in Hometown

Former Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray was among the many speakers who remembered former Houston Oilers running back Gary Brown at a Celebration of Life on Saturday.

The ceremony took place in Brown’s hometown of Williamsport, Pa., where he died on April 10 from the effects of cancer. He was 52 years old.

Brown and Murray crossed paths when the former was a running backs coach with the Dallas Cowboys (2013-19). Murray spent the first four years of his career (2011-14) with Dallas and had his best year under Brown’s tutelage – 1,845 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in 2014.

Murray was the Titans’ leading rusher in 2016 with 1,287 yards and nine touchdowns.

From NorthCentralPA.com:

The ceremony lasted an hour and saw other football greats scattered on the field. Former Penn State legend Blair Thomas, current New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and current Dallas Cowboy superstar Ezekiel Elliott all were in attendance to pay their respects to Brown.

Brown was an Oilers backup until the second half of 1993 (his third season), when an injury to Lorenzo White opened the door for him. Brown started the final eight games of that season, rushed for 100 yards or more five times and finished with 1,002 rushing yards. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November 1993.

He averaged 5.1 yards per carry for the season, which makes him one of five running backs in franchise history to rush for at least 1,000 yards with an average of better than five yards per carry. The others are Hoyle Granger (1967), Earl Campbell (1980), Chris Johnson (2009) and Derrick Henry (2019, 2020).

The Gary L. Brown Jr. Legacy Scholarship Fund has been created in his honor and will benefit student-athletes at Williamsport Area High School.