Eddie Brown

Career profile

AFL career: 1994–2003

Eddie Brown gave Albany an offensive centerpiece who could take over a season. Known as “Touchdown,” the Firebirds’ offensive specialist earned AFL Most Valuable Player honors as a rookie in 1994 and followed with Offensive Player of the Year awards in 1996 and 1999. His ability to find space and finish drives made him the face of the franchise.

The 1999 season brought Brown and Albany their defining achievement. He produced 138 regular-season receptions for 1,858 yards and 45 receiving touchdowns, then caught 12 passes for 185 yards and four scores in the Firebirds’ ArenaBowl XIII victory over Orlando. Brown was named the championship game’s Most Valuable Player.

Across ten AFL seasons with the Albany and Indiana Firebirds, Brown recorded 949 receptions, 12,726 receiving yards, and 303 receiving touchdowns. The AFL Historical Committee ranked him first on its 2006 list of the league’s greatest players, and he entered the Arena Football Hall of Fame in 2011.