Bill Brown

William Dorsey Brown (June 29, 1938 – November 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who played fullback in the National Football League for 14 seasons, 13 of them with the Minnesota Vikings.

Brown was born in Mendota, LaSalle County, Illinois, and attended Mendota High School alongside his brother Jim, one year his senior; both were named all-state in football. He was also a teammate of future Canadian Football League Hall of Famer Ray Jauch. Brown competed in track as well, winning the Illinois state shot put title as a junior and recording a senior-year toss of 57 feet 9 inches, six inches beyond the state record.

He played college football at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, lining up at fullback for the Fighting Illini. Brown was an All-Big Ten selection and won the Big Ten shot put title, setting an Illinois record with a throw of 54 feet 10.5 inches. He captained the 1960 Illinois football team.

In the NFL, Brown spent the bulk of his 14-season career with the Minnesota Vikings, where he was named to the Pro Bowl four times. He died on November 4, 2018.