Gold Jacket Spotlight: Tim Brown’s consistency cemented his legacy
Gold Jacket Spotlight
Published on : 1/22/2024
Twenty-two years ago this month, future Hall of Famer TIM BROWN landed on the cover of ESPN Magazine.
Appropriately titled “Wide Open,” Tim stood next to another wide receiver who also would don a Gold Jacket after his retirement, JERRY RICE.
“
Wide Open” chronicled the first season together for two of the most dominant wide receivers in the National Football League’s history, at that time teammates in Oakland for three seasons in the early 2000s. The cover teaser for the article asked, “If any team can catch fire, why not the one with the best hands ever?”
On paper, the duo was poised to become possibly the greatest pair of wide receivers to team up, but there were plenty of skeptics. To this point, both seemingly had shut down any notion of being “past their prime,” as each entered the latter stages of his career. The 2001 season marked Tim’s 14th year, Rice’s 17th.
Despite a productive and decorated career, Tim never garnered the level of attention Rice and some other stars had attained in the NFL.
“For years, what I used to say was that I wasn’t getting attention nationwide, but my teammates know what I mean to them,” Tim said. “I’ve always said the best measure of a player is consistency. I’m most proud of that.”
Entering the 2001 season, Tim had recorded eight consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards (1993-2000), at the time the second longest streak in history behind Rice’s 11 seasons from 1986-1996.
Their first year together, Tim recorded 91 receptions and 1,165 yards receiving, both 11th best in the league, along with nine touchdowns, tied for fifth most with Rice. His streak extended to nine consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards, which remained the second-longest streak until the 2023 season.
“Anyone who thought I was going to have a problem with Jerry being here doesn’t know me,” Tim said. “When they asked me about it, I said, ‘If he can play, bring him in.’ And it’s obvious he can still play.”
Together they helped the Raiders post a 10-6 record and reach the second round of the playoffs with the league’s fourth-ranked passing offense.
Despite entering the pros as college football’s most recent winner of the Heisman Trophy, Tim’s NFL debut season in 1988 consisted primarily as a kick returner. He led the league in both kick returns (41) and kick return yardage (1,098) and took a kick 97 yards for a score.
He also returned 49 punts for 444 yards. His overall special teams play earned Tim the first of his nine Pro Bowl nods and a spot on the NFL’s All-Rookie Team.
Tim played only one game in 1989 and did not become a full-time starter until his fifth season. Despite this relatively slow start as a pro receiver, he still finished as the holder of several franchise records with the Raiders and near the top of the NFL record book following his retirement in 2004.
His career totals show 1,094 receptions (third at the time of his retirement behind Rice and CRIS CARTER) for 14,934 yards (second to only Rice) and 100 receiving touchdowns (tied for third most all-time with STEVE LARGENT, behind Rice and Carter.
Despite enduring some lean years for the Raiders, Tim’s play – whether as the No. 1 option or later opposite the NFL’s greatest receiver – demonstrated a model of consistency and showed him to be one of the game’s best.
“I like being the go-to guy. It puts pressure on me, but that's why you play this game,” he said.
Appropriately titled “Wide Open,” Tim stood next to another wide receiver who also would don a Gold Jacket after his retirement, JERRY RICE.
“
Wide Open” chronicled the first season together for two of the most dominant wide receivers in the National Football League’s history, at that time teammates in Oakland for three seasons in the early 2000s. The cover teaser for the article asked, “If any team can catch fire, why not the one with the best hands ever?”On paper, the duo was poised to become possibly the greatest pair of wide receivers to team up, but there were plenty of skeptics. To this point, both seemingly had shut down any notion of being “past their prime,” as each entered the latter stages of his career. The 2001 season marked Tim’s 14th year, Rice’s 17th.
Despite a productive and decorated career, Tim never garnered the level of attention Rice and some other stars had attained in the NFL.
“For years, what I used to say was that I wasn’t getting attention nationwide, but my teammates know what I mean to them,” Tim said. “I’ve always said the best measure of a player is consistency. I’m most proud of that.”
Entering the 2001 season, Tim had recorded eight consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards (1993-2000), at the time the second longest streak in history behind Rice’s 11 seasons from 1986-1996.
Their first year together, Tim recorded 91 receptions and 1,165 yards receiving, both 11th best in the league, along with nine touchdowns, tied for fifth most with Rice. His streak extended to nine consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards, which remained the second-longest streak until the 2023 season.
“Anyone who thought I was going to have a problem with Jerry being here doesn’t know me,” Tim said. “When they asked me about it, I said, ‘If he can play, bring him in.’ And it’s obvious he can still play.”
Together they helped the Raiders post a 10-6 record and reach the second round of the playoffs with the league’s fourth-ranked passing offense.
Despite entering the pros as college football’s most recent winner of the Heisman Trophy, Tim’s NFL debut season in 1988 consisted primarily as a kick returner. He led the league in both kick returns (41) and kick return yardage (1,098) and took a kick 97 yards for a score.
He also returned 49 punts for 444 yards. His overall special teams play earned Tim the first of his nine Pro Bowl nods and a spot on the NFL’s All-Rookie Team.
Tim played only one game in 1989 and did not become a full-time starter until his fifth season. Despite this relatively slow start as a pro receiver, he still finished as the holder of several franchise records with the Raiders and near the top of the NFL record book following his retirement in 2004.
His career totals show 1,094 receptions (third at the time of his retirement behind Rice and CRIS CARTER) for 14,934 yards (second to only Rice) and 100 receiving touchdowns (tied for third most all-time with STEVE LARGENT, behind Rice and Carter.
Despite enduring some lean years for the Raiders, Tim’s play – whether as the No. 1 option or later opposite the NFL’s greatest receiver – demonstrated a model of consistency and showed him to be one of the game’s best.
“I like being the go-to guy. It puts pressure on me, but that's why you play this game,” he said.
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