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Gary Brown, Former Penn State Star, Passes Away at 52

Brown was an accomplished and beloved NFL player and coach. He spent last season with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Mark Wogenrich

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Gary Brown, the former Penn State and NFL running back who went on to coach multiple star backs in the NFL, died Sunday. He was 52.

Brown had been in hospice in his hometown of Williamsport, Pa., according to Clarence Hill Jr., of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Brown coached running backs last season for Wisconsin but did not attend the team's bowl game.

Brown led an accomplished coaching career, spending 11 years in the NFL with Cleveland and Dallas. As the Cowboys running backs coach, Brown mentored DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott to NFL rushing titles. He also guided Darren McFadden to a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2015.

"Gary had a big heart partnered with a big smile and a big personality," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "His energy and spirit were infectious. He lit up every room he walked into and touched the lives of those who knew him in such a positive way. Everyone who knew him, loved him. He meant so much to the players he coached and the coaches he coached with. His love for his family, football and life was evident each day. He continued to fight and he never gave up."

In Cleveland, where he spent four seasons as running backs coach, Brown guided Peyton Hillis and Trent Richardson to 1,000-yards seasons as well.

Brown was a hugely popular player at Penn State in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He led the team in rushing in 1988, then made a dramatic position switch the following year when injured running back Blair Thomas returned to the team.

Brown switched to safety, a position with which he was unfamiliar, yet became a starter. Brown punctuated his season with the most dramatic play of the 1989 Holiday Bowl, stealing the ball from Brigham Young quarterback Ty Detmer and racing 53 yards for a touchdown in the game's final minute to clinch a 50-39 victory.

Brown returned to Penn State's offense the following year, rushing for 359 yards and two touchdowns in a backfield that included Leroy Thompson and Sam Gash. Brown continued his NFL career as a running back. The Houston Oilers selected Brown in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft, and Brown played there for five seasons. He rushed for 1,002 yards in 1993.

After a year in San Diego, Brown spent two seasons with the New York Giants, where he had his best statistical season in 1998. Brown rushed for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns. Brown played eight NFL seasons before embarking on his coaching career.

Brown is survived by his wife Kim and children Malena, Dorianna and Tre.

"Though he was only on our staff for a year he had a profound impact on our players and our program," Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said in a statement. "We are all better people for having known Gary. He was a tremendous person, a terrific coach and a joy to be around. He had great energy and passion for life and that showed every day."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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