'Truly Special Guy!' Cowboys Pay Final Tribute to Gary Brown

Several Dallas representatives were on hand to celebrate the life of former running backs coach Gary Brown.

Dallas Cowboys players and alumni descended upon Williamsport, Pennsylvania last weekend to pay their respects to the late Gary Brown. The eight-year NFL veteran was the team's running backs coach over seven seasons (2013-19) and held the same role at the University of Wisconsin before his passing at the age of 52 in April. 

Former Dallas head coach Jason Garrett highlighted the Cowboys contingent with a group photo posted on Twitter. Dallas running backs in attendance included Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarco Murray and Tony Pollard. 

Beautiful memorial today in Williamsport, PA celebrating the life of Gary Brown! An incredible tribute to a truly special guy! Great to see so many of Gary’s players and fellow coaches join his family and friends in lifting him up!

We love you GB! pic.twitter.com/2HZ3ZHuxbi

— Jason Garrett (@JasonGarrett) June 5, 2022

"An incredible tribute to a truly special guy!" Garrett described the event on Twitter, held in Brown's hometown of Williamsport. "Great to see so many of Gary’s players and fellow coaches join his family and friends in lifting him up!"

Brown's playing days featured two 1,000-yard seasons in 1993 and 1998 with the Houston Oilers and New York Giants, respectively. During his time mentoring the Cowboys' rushers, Dallas ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards (14,430). In his lone season at Wisconsin, the Badgers averaged 210 yards per game, second-best in the Big Ten en route to a victory over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. 

Murray, a Dallas alum, and current analytics/quality control assistant Kyle Valero were among those who spoke at the event. Under Brown's watch, Murray led the NFL in rushing yards (1,845, also a Dallas franchise record) and touchdowns (13) during the 2014 season. 

"His smile was very contagious and he was the most positive person I ever met in my life,” Murray, now the running backs coach at the University of Oklahoma, said in his memorial, per the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. "He helped me realize the kind of player, kind of person and kind of father I wanted to be. He was a bright spot in my life and I can’t thank him enough for the things he taught me. Not only as a player, but as a man, a father, and a husband."

Overall, Brown is responsible for four of the 12 most prolific rushing seasons in Dallas history, the other three earned by Elliott in 2016, 2018, and 2019.