Joe Paterno’s old analysis of Jim Brown was perfect
The football world lost an absolute icon this week with the passing of legendary running back Jim Brown. The former Cleveland Brown and Syracuse standout is remembered as arguably the best running back in football history and is rightfully considered one of the best players of all time in the sport, regardless of position. And Penn State saw firsthand just how great Brown was.
Penn State played Syracuse three times with Jim Brown on the Syracuse roster. In 1954, Penn State outdueled Brown and Syracuse in a battle of running backs starring a pair of hall of famers, and perhaps the best players in school history. Brown carried the football 20 times for 159 yards and scored three touchdowns, kicked two extra points and recorded an interception and 95 kickoff return yards for Syracuse. Penn State’s Lenny Moore countered with 146 rushing yards on 22 carries with a touchdown as Penn State edged Syracuse by a final score of 21-20.
Joe Paterno was an assistant coach at the time on the Penn State staff, working under Rip Engle. Clearly, Brown’s impact left a lasting impression on Paterno, and years later he offered a pretty simple explanation for what made Brown so great.
Clark Judge, a veteran NFL writer, recalled an interaction he had with Paterno at the 1963 Maxwell Awards in Philadelphia. Paterno was in attendance at the annual awards banquet when Brown was being honored as the Bert Bell Award winner as the top player in professional football. Asked what made Brown so great, Paterno had the only explanation needed.
“Nobody can touch him,” Paterno said, Judge recalled.
What else really needs to be said? Brown was a bulldozer and a bruiser and stood the test of time.
