Johnny Brewer
Born on a houseboat on Steel Bayou in Mississippi, Johnny Brewer emerged as a standout All-American on the University of Mississippi’s National Championship teams in 1959 and 1960. Brewer was selected in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns—as well as by the Oakland Raiders of the AFL—a full year before he was eligible to play professional football.
He officially joined the Browns in 1961 and quickly made his presence felt, earning a spot on the UPI All-Rookie Team.
In 1962, Brewer requested a switch to offense and was moved to tight end. Though primarily used as a blocker for stars like Ernie GreenJim Brown and the legendary Jim Brown, he contributed solid receiving numbers as well—hauling in 89 passes for 1,256 yards and 8 touchdowns over four seasons. In 1966, Brewer transitioned back to defense and took over as the Browns’ starting right linebacker where he earned a Pro Bowl selection that same season.
After seven seasons in Cleveland and an NFL Championship in 1964, Brewer briefly considered retirement. Instead, he opted to return closer to his Mississippi roots and joined the New Orleans Saints in 1968. The Saints acquired him in exchange for their second-round pick in the 1970 draft. Brewer played three more seasons in New Orleans before retiring after the 1970 season, finishing his career with 135 games over 10 NFL seasons.
An interesting side note in Brewer’s life connects him to music legend Elvis Presley. Former NFL receiver Harlon HillJim Brown, who owned a moving company in Memphis, convinced Brewer to meet Anita Wood—Elvis’s then-girlfriend—after a showing of G.I. Blues. Brewer made quite the impression. Anita soon broke off her relationship with Elvis and later married Brewer. The couple remained together for 46 years until Johnny Brewer’s death from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2011.
Image Gallery of Johnny Brewer,Tight End/Linebacker 1961-1970
Johnny Brewer Football Cards
Johnny Brewer All Time Career Statistics
| Season | Age | Team | Pos | # | Games | Starts | Catches | Yards | Y/R | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 24 | CLE | DE | 83 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1962 | 25 | CLE | TE | 83 | 14 | 14 | 22 | 290 | 13.2 | 37 | 2 |
| 1963 | 26 | CLE | TE | 83 | 14 | 14 | 29 | 454 | 15.7 | 55 | 0 |
| 1964 | 27 | CLE♚ | TE | 83 | 14 | 14 | 25 | 338 | 13.5 | 41 | 3 |
| 1965 | 28 | CLE | TE | 83 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 174 | 13.4 | 25 | 1 |
| 1966* | 29 | CLE | RLB | 83 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1967 | 30 | CLE | RLB | 83 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1968 | 31 | NOR | RLB | 82 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1969 | 32 | NOR | RLB | 82 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1970 | 33 | NOR | LB | 82 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 seasons Browns | 98 | 76 | 89 | 1256 | 14.1 | 55 | 6 | ||||
| 3 seasons Saints | 37 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 10 Year NFL Career | 135 | 106 | 89 | 1256 | 14.1 | 55 | 6 | ||||
| Season | Age | Team | Pos | Games | Catches | Yards | Y/R | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 27 | CLE♚ | TE | 1 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 |
| 1965 | 28 | CLE | TE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1967 | 30 | CLE | RLB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Post Season Totals | 3 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 | |||
| Season | Age | Team | Pos | # | Games | Starts | Int | Yards | TDs | Long | FR | Sacks | Safeties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 24 | CLE | DE | 83 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 1966* | 29 | CLE | RLB | 82 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 1967 | 30 | CLE | RLB | 82 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 75 | 1 | 70 | 3 | 6.5 | 0 |
| 1968 | 31 | NOR | RLB | 82 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1969 | 32 | NOR | RLB | 82 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 7 seasons Browns | 98 | 76 | 3 | 75 | 1 | 70 | 5 | 8.0 | 0 | ||||
| 3 seasons Saints | 37 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||
| 10 Year NFL Career | 135 | 106 | 3 | 75 | 1 | 70 | 7 | 8.0 | 0 | ||||
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table.
- * – NFL Pro Bowl Selection
- ♚ – NFL Champion
