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Diamars 12 aPriL 2022

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

(AP) - Gary Brown, who Brown also had a four-
rushed for 4,300 yards year tenure as the Cleve-
while playing on three land Browns’ running backs
NFL teams in the 1990s coach. Peyton Hillis and
before going on to coach Trent Richardson each had
running backs in the pro 1,000-yard seasons while
and college ranks, has Brown coached them.
died. He was 52.
After taking the 2020 season
Wisconsin’s athletic depart- off for health reasons, Brown
ment and the Dallas Cow- coached Wisconsin’s running
boys announced that Brown backs last season. Brown
died Sunday. No cause of played a big role in the emer-
death was disclosed. Brown gence of Braelon Allen, who
had battled cancer on mul- ran for 1,268 yards and eight
tiple occasions. touchdowns his freshman
season after most schools had
Brown had coached Wis- recruited him to play safety
consin’s running backs last or linebacker.
season before departing for
health-related reasons. He “Everything I did was really
coached the Cowboys’ run- because of him,” Allen said
ning backs from 2013-19. last month. “When I came in,
I didn’t know the first thing
“I am deeply saddened by about really playing running
Gary’s passing,” Wisconsin ers selected him out of Penn back. I just kind of knew how
coach Paul Chryst said in a State in the eighth round of to run the ball. My growth
statement. “Though he was the 1991 draft. from fall camp to the end
only on our staff for a year, of the season was crazy, and
he had a profound impact on He rushed for 1,002 yards in really all the credit’s due to
our players and our program. 1993 and 1,063 yards in 1998. him.”
We are all better people for
having known Gary.” Brown followed that up with Brown didn’t join Wiscon-
a productive coaching career. sin’s team for the Las Vegas
He spent the 2020 season Bowl . School officials an-
away from football, with his When Brown worked as the nounced last month that
wife disclosing on social me- Cowboys’ running backs Brown was stepping away
dia at the time that a tumor coach on Jason Garrett’s staff, from coaching to assume an
had been found around the DeMarco Murray and Eze- off-field role with the pro-
bile duct and head of Brown’s kiel Elliott each won NFL gram.
pancreas. Brown had dealt rushing titles and Darren
with colon and liver cancer McFadden had a 1,000-yard His coaching career also in-
about a decade earlier. season. The Cowboys aver- cluded stints at Lycoming
aged at least 4 ½ yards per College (2003-05), Susque-
“What it did for me is it made carry in each of Brown’s sev- hanna University (2006-
me appreciate every day, en seasons. 07) and Rutgers (2008). He
made me sort of maximize helped coach running backs
every day and make sure you “Gary Brown had a big heart at the New York Giants’
don’t leave anything on the partnered with a big smile and training camp in 2005 and
table in life, with your fam- a big personality,” Cowboys worked with the Green Bay
ily, with football, whatever owner Jerry Jones said. “His Packers in 2006 and Carolina
you’re doing at that particular energy and spirit were infec- Panthers in 2007 as part of
point,” Brown said last sum- tions. He lit up every room the NFL’s minority coaching
mer. “It just made me focus he walked into and touched fellowship program.
on what’s good in your life (1991-95), San Diego Char- the lives of those who knew
and take advantage of every- Brown played in the NFL gers (1997) and New York him in such a positive way.” Survivors include his wife,
thing you have in your life.” with the Houston Oilers Giants (1998-99). The Oil- Kim, and three children.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson pivots to baseball in a Broadway play

(AP) — Earlier this month, look includes shower scenes
Jesse Tyler Ferguson got a Life was imitating art since with real water and nudity.
private tour of hallowed the last scene of Richard (Theater patrons’ phones are
ground — Yankee Stadi- Greenberg’s Tony Award- locked up upon entering the
um. He and the cast of the winning play is a private Hayes Theatre to protect ac-
Broadway revival of the moment in an empty Yan- tors’ privacy.)
baseball-themed “Take kee Stadium. “I feel like I’m
Me Out” got to walk on having some of these parallel “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse
the grass and soak in the moments,” Ferguson says. Williams plays the star baller
silent stands. and Ferguson plays his un-
“Take Me Out” explores athletic gay accountant, Ma-
“I wasn’t expecting to be as what happens when a Major son Marzac, a sweetly zealous
moved as I was,” says the League Baseball superstar convert to the game. The play
“Modern Family” and Broad- comes out as gay, tracing the originally was staged in 2002
way star. “It was meaningful way it unsettles the team and with Denis O’Hare playing
in ways that I didn’t expect it unleashes toxic prejudices. Ferguson’s part and winning
to be.” Greenberg’s unflinching a Tony for it.