Brown’s Resurgence Has Teams Running Away From Him--Again

Last season, teams were running at Gilbert Brown. Now they’re running away from him again.

His Green Bay Packers teammates and coaches say that’s in recognition of the XXL-sized run-stopper’s professional rejuvenation.

Brown has assumed added responsibilities on and off the field while defensive tackle Santana Dotson, his partner on the front of the defensive line, is out with a stinger to his right shoulder. Dotson has missed the Packers’ last two games and likely will miss Sunday’s game at Denver.

Coach Ray Rhodes thinks Brown is playing as well as he did during the Packers’ championship season of 1996.

“His conditioning and stamina is a lot better than it ever has been,” Rhodes said. “He’s fired up about playing.”

Defensive tackles are difficult to measure in statistics, because most of what they do occurs away from the ball. But Brown, known as the Gravedigger for the unique celebration dance he has had occasion to use several times this season, is getting noticed by opponents.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers avoided Brown’s spot on the defensive line whenever possible last Sunday, and when fullback Mike Alstott ventured into the line, two and sometimes three blockers attacked Brown. No stranger to double-teams, Brown plugged half the line and limited the mobility of Alstott and Warrick Dunn.

“When they tried to cut back during the course of the game, he had things jammed up and they couldn’t make cutback runs to his area,” Rhodes said.

Brown also took on the unlikely role of team leader during Green Bay’s win over Minnesota two weekends ago. At halftime, the usually taciturn Brown got up and blistered his teammates’ ears with a profane tirade that inspired the Packers to a standout performance in the second half.

“I’m sure everybody was looking at Gilbert and not going to question what he was saying,” said Rhodes, himself no stranger to curse-filled motivational speeches. “The young man went out and played a big-time game for us. When he was in there, he impacted our football team by beating double teams, making tackles and things of that nature.”

Reluctant to talk to reporters and completely intolerant of questions about himself and his weight, Brown usually doesn’t appear in the media--although he sometimes can be seen in the background of TV interviews with safety LeRoy Butler, whose locker is next to Brown’s.

“People have kind of forgotten about him, because he’s not a big media guy,” Butler said. “But he came in this locker room at halftime, and he fired us up. He was talking like Ray Junior, with a lot of bleeps.”

Brown’s improved conditioning, which was a noticeable problem during his subpar 1998 season, has allowed him to play about 40 snaps per game. He’s not always the last player off the ground after a tackle, and he is getting in the backfield more frequently.

“He has been coming to play,” Dotson said. “He fills a void with me not being out there. He’s taking care of the middle. I’m proud of him.”