Gary Brown, former NFL running back and coach, dies at 52

Brown was credited with guiding the emergence of Dallas Cowboys running backs Ezekiel Elliott and DeMarco Murray, who won rushing titles with the team.

Running back Gary Brown, who spent eight seasons in the NFL with three teams and later served as an assistant coach in college

the NFL, died Sunday night of liver and kidney failure in his hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He was 52.

Brown, who twice was diagnosed with cancer, most recently in 2020 when a malignant tumor was detected near his pancreas, spent recent weeks in hospice care, the Star-Telegram reported.

Twice topping 1,000 yards rushing in a season, Brown, who won All-American honors at Penn State, finished with 4,300 for his NFL career.

He played five seasons for the then-Houston Oilers, one season with the then-San Diego Chargers, and two with the New York Giants.

In 1993 with the Oilers, he rushed for 1,002 yards and six touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 240 yards and two more scores.

In 1998, his first season with the Giants, he amassed 1,063 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

The Giants paid tribute in a tweet that ended with “Once a Giant, Always a Giant.”

From 2009 to 2012, Brown was the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns, and he moved to the Dallas Cowboys for the same position from 2013 to 2019.

Brown was let go when Dallas hired Mike McCarthy as its head coach in 2020. Brown coached running backs at Wisconsin last season.

Brown was credited with guiding the emergence of Cowboys running backs Ezekiel Elliott and DeMarco Murray, who won rushing titles with the team.