Education
University of Tulsa.
University of Tulsa.
He played college football at the University of Tulsa and then professionally for the San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and the Denver Broncos. He was one of only two men who played in the All-America Football Conference, the National Football League, and the American Football League.(The other was Ben Agajanian)
When Brown was four years old, he witnessed the murder of his father. At the Masonic Home, Brown became friends with Tex Coulter.
Brown was a standout football player for the Mighty Mites, leading them to the state semi-finals his senior year.
He then briefly enlisted in the United States Army before playing football at Tulsa and eventually in the NFL. Brown became known as one of the roughest defensive players in the game, knocking out numerous opponents with his trademark shoulder push. The Rams once offered a bounty to any player who could take him out, and he had his shoulder pads checked before a game once to make sure he did not have metal plating or other such material stuffed in them.
Brown died in 1991 at a mental institution. Hardy Brown is featured prominently in the book, "Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football" by Jim Dent.
On the show NFL"s Top 10, Hardy was marked as #5 on "The Most Feared Tacklers of All Time" segment.