Gary Brown, 52, died in hospice care on Sunday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he’d been for many weeks owing to escalating health concerns stemming from his long-term cancer struggle.

Over the last two days, there has been a steady stream of sombre NFL news. The league has been mourning severely but without relief since the awful loss of Dwayne Haskins at the age of 24 and the passing of Hall of Fame lineman Rayfield Wright, and now with the news of Gary Brown’s death.

Not long after his resignation from the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, where he had served as running backs coach for the previous seven seasons, his battle with the fatal illness took a severe turn for the worse.

Following the announcement, team owner Jerry Jones made a poignant statement.

“Gary Brown had a big heart partnered with a big smile and a big personality,” Jones said. “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 family, football and life was evident each day. He continued to fight, and he never gave up. My family and the Dallas Cowboys family are heartbroken, and our love and support are with his wife, Kim, his daughters, Malena and Dorianna, and his son, Tre.”

Following Brown’s death, an outpouring of love poured onto social media from NFL and collegiate athletes (and others) who had the privilege of crossing his path.

Brown, a former running back, entered the NFL as an eighth-round choice of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and spent five seasons with the team before joining the New York Giants via the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers system.

In 1998, he had a 1,000-yard season with the New York Yankees before moving into the coaching ranks in the early 2000s, rising from collegiate assistant to RBs coach with the Cleveland Browns.

He’d spent four seasons in Cleveland before being appointed as the Cowboys’ RBs coach in 2013, when he was the driving force behind DeMarco Murray’s career-best seasons, as well as the emergence of fourth-round pick Ezekiel Elliott and a resurgence for guys like Darren McFadden.

“Great Father, husband, coach, and mentor,” said Murray of Brown’s passing, via Twitter. “Appreciate you and your family more than anything GB … Thank you for teaching me the way on the field and in life. Appreciate you Gary Brown.”

Despite his health concerns, Brown returned to coaching in 2021 as the University of Wisconsin’s running backs coach — a career impact footballer who will be known for so much more.

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