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Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Ross Browner passes away at 67

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•01/05/22•

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Dan Devine leads Notre Dame onto the field in 1977
Notre Dame coach Dan Devine leads his charges onto the field as the Fighting Irish launch their 1977 campaign. Identifiable are: Luther Bradley (20), Kim Uniacke (96), Willie Fry (94), Terry Eurick (40) Ross Browner (89) and Ernie Hughes (65). (Photo by Bettmann / Contributor)

Notre Dame lost a legend this week.

Former Fighting Irish defensive lineman Ross Browner died at the age of 67, his son Max Starks IV announced on Twitter. Browner was one of the most decorated defensive linemen in college football history during his career from 1973-77.

Browner, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, bookended his career with the Irish by winning two national championships in 1973 and 1977. Browner holds the school record for career tackles by a defensive lineman (340), tackles for loss in a single season (28.0, 1976) and career tackles for loss (77.0).

A unanimous All-American in 1976, Browner won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best defensive lineman and the United Press International Lineman of the Year award in the same season. He won the UPI Lineman of the Year honor again as a senior to become the only player ever to win it twice. Browner also won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top overall player and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting during his legendary 1977 season.

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Browner was selected No. 8 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1978 NFL Draft. He was named team MVP as a rookie. Browner recorded 10 tackles in Super Bowl XVI against the San Francisco 49ers. He went on to play eight seasons with the Bengals. He started in 121 games and finished his career with 58 sacks.

Browner began his Notre Dame career with a mesmerizing blocked punt in his first start as a freshman. According to UND.com, Browner applied so much force on the blocked kick he accidentally broke the punter’s leg.

“Ross had just arrived on campus, but he played like he had been there for years,” former Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian said ahead of Browner’s induction into the CFB HOF in 1999. “It was very apparent that this guy was going to be something special.”

Parseghian was obviously right. Browner finished his career under head coach Dan Devine’s guidance by leading a stifling Notre Dame defense against Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell and No. 1 Texas in a 38-10 blowout win over the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl.

The Irish went 11-1 that year with a lone loss to Ole Miss in week two. Longtime Notre Dame fans will remember the Irish’s 49-19 demolishing of USC while wearing green jerseys. Notre Dame held a record of 49-8 during Browner’s time in South Bend.

“We had some great players on that team,” Browner said of the 1977 team. “And we just pulled everybody together and kept them all pumped up. We knew what we had to do.”

Browner is survived by his wife Shayla and his two sons, Max Starks and Rylan Browner.

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