 Brewer as a player for the Cleveland Browns | |
| No. 83, 82 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end, linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 8, 1937 Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died: | May 27, 2011 (aged 74) Madison, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Mississippi |
| NFL draft: | 1960 / round: 4 / pick: 41 |
| AFL draft: | 1960 / round: Second Selections (by the Minneapolis AFL team) |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Johnny Lee Brewer (March 8, 1937 – May 27, 2011) was an American football tight end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Mississippi.
Brewer was a fourth round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 1960 NFL Draft, and was also selected by the Minneapolis AFL team of the newly formed American Football League. The Browns also selected Ole Miss teammates Bobby Franklin in the eleventh round and Robert Khayat in the sixth round.[1]
He was a member of the Browns teams that won the NFL championship in 1964 over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts and the 1965 Eastern Conference championship team that lost the title game to the Green Bay Packers.
Brewer played slot end/tight end for the Browns until 1966 when he was converted to linebacker with the impending retirement of linebacker Galen Fiss and the presence of first round draft pick Milt Morin.[2]
Brewer announced his retirement from professional football in January 1968 to go into the insurance business. [3] Later in the year, Brewer decided he would play football again if the Browns would trade him to a team closer to his home and insurance business.[4] The Browns traded him the New Orleans Saints in mid-August.[5] The Browns acquired a 1970 second round draft pick in exchange for Brewer; they used that pick to draft defensive end Joe “Turkey” Jones.[6] Brewer announced his retirement from the Saints in November 1970.[7]
He was married to Anita Wood for 46 years from 1965 until his death in 2011.[8]
- ^ "1960 NFL Draft". Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Charles Heaton (July 6, 1966). ""Brewer in Bid at Linebacker"". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- ^ Staff Special (January 10, 1968). ""Brewer Retires After 7 Years"". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- ^ Chuck Heaton (November 9, 1968). ""Brewer Trade Works Out Fine"". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- ^ Dennis Lustig (August 18, 1968). ""Tagging All the Bases – Sports Highlights from Aug. 2 to Aug. 16"". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns Draft History 1970s". Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ Dennis Lustig (November 20, 1970). ""Football Roundup: Flight Plans Reviewed"". The Palm Beach Post.
- ^ "John Brewer Obituary (2011) - Madison, MS - Clarion Ledger". Legacy.com. June 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2023.