EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings are mourning the loss of Ring of Honor member Joey Browner, who passed away Saturday at the age of 65.
The news continued a somber weekend for the franchise. Browner's passing was announced Sunday, a day after the passing of Vikings middle linebacker Jeff Siemon, who earned placement in the 50 Greatest Vikings along with Browner in 2010.
Browner will be deeply missed by former coaches and teammates, as well as many others he impacted throughout his life, including fellow Ring of Honor member Steve Jordan.
The Vikings tight end was drafted one year before Browner and teamed with him for nine seasons. Jordan had recently visited Browner during a trip to the Twin Cities.
"We've lost a great friend and one of the best Vikings teammates," Jordan said. "God blessed Joey with phenomenal talent and a big heart to love people and be a beacon of positivity. Truly, he will be missed."
Drafted with the 19th pick in 1983 out of USC, Browner was the first defensive back selected in a first round by Minnesota and is the only safety other than Harrison Smith (2012) and Lewis Cine (2022) the Vikings have tabbed in a first round.
"I like to be around the football," Browner told the Star Tribune after being drafted.
He proved as much on Vikings game days, recording 37 interceptions and totaling 18 forced fumbles and 17 fumble recoveries over the course of 138 regular-season games (115 starts) for Minnesota.
"We're looking for more interceptions down the middle," Hall of Fame Head Coach Bud Grant said after Minnesota drafted Browner. "We think he has the hands and the speed. If our information is accurate, he would be our fastest defensive back.
"Any team he went to, he would improve the defense," Grant added.
Browner played three seasons at cornerback for the Trojans before transitioning to safety for his senior campaign. He finished his collegiate career with nine career interceptions and an impressive 40 pass deflections.
"Intercepting the football was not my main concern," Browner told reporters. "Making sure that nobody else caught it anytime, anywhere, was."
Browner went on to solidify a similar reputation in the NFL, where two older brothers and a younger brother also played, establishing a family record for number of brothers to make it to football's pinnacle level.
His oldest brother, Ross, was a pass rusher for the Bengals from 1978-86 and played 11 games for Green Bay in 1987. The next brother, Jim, played defensive back for Cincinnati in 1979 and 1980. Born less than two years after Joey, Keith Browner, Sr., totaled 65 games with four different teams from 1984-88. Willard played collegiately at Notre Dame. The youngest brother, Gerald, played at Georgia.
"One thing about it is, our parents always wanted us to stay off the streets," Ross Browner told the Tribune Chronicle in 2016. "[They wanted us] to learn a trade or something that was going to be positive in life, and sports really turned out to be one of those positive things in our life."
That was evident for Joey, who always showed a nose for the football.
He played in all 16 games as a rookie, snagging a pair of interceptions and recovering four fumbles. He became a full-time starter for the Vikings in 1985, his third season in the league.
Browner garnered six consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1985-90. Smith tied six Pro Bowls, making five trips from 2015-19 and another after the 2021 season and regularly enjoyed connecting with his predecessor when Browner visited Vikings training camps.
Browner led the Vikings in tackles in 1986 and 1987, helping Minnesota advance to the 1987 NFC Championship Game against Washington. He recorded six interceptions that season and garnered his first of four consecutive All-Pro selections from The Associated Press (First Team in 1987-88 and 1990; Second Team in 1989).
He helped the Vikings produce the NFL's top-ranked defense (yards allowed) in 1988 and 1989.
Overall, Browner played nine seasons for the Vikings (1983-91) before spending his final season in Tampa Bay. He ranks third in team history for games played by a safety behind Smith (207) and Hall of Famer and six-time Pro Bowler Paul Krause (172).
The Ohio native ranks second in sacks by a Vikings defensive back (9.5) and total tackles (987 according to team stats). His 37 career interceptions rank fifth all-time in franchise history.
When Smith broke a tie with Browner and moved into fourth place against Washington last December, he said Browner "was a guy who helped define what it is to be a safety."
"We probably had kind of similar games — pretty physical guys, but also could turn the ball over well," Smith added. "I've been fortunate enough to talk to him. Just an honor to be mentioned amongst him."
Browner was named to the 1980s NFL Team of the Decade, and his six consecutive Pro Bowls rank only behind 11 in a row by Randall McDaniel and seven straight by Ron Yary in franchise lore.
"Joey was one of those players that could transcend any generation of player," Vikings Ring of Honor linebacker Scott Studwell said in 2013. "He could've played today. When he played, he was one of the best at his position."
In 2013, Browner became the 21st Legend inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor.
"The Ring of Honor is something that is very special because there are very few of us that are in there," Browner said. "To be with people like Fran Tarkenton and Jim Marshall … Chris Doleman, John Randle, it's just a great honor."
