Two of the Washington Football Team's greatest players can add more accolades to their resumes.
Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback in league history to start and win a Super Bowl, was inducted to the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame on June 12. Larry Brown, who was a mainstay in Washington's backfield from 1969-76, was also inducted to the inaugural National Junior College Hall of Fame class on June 24. Both Williams and Brown are members of the Ring of Fame at FedExField.
Williams, who was taken 17th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was the first Black quarterback taken in the first round. He spent five seasons with the Buccaneers and a year playing in the USFL before being signed by Washington in 1986.
Two seasons later, Williams was leading Washington in Super Bowl XXII against John Elway and the Denver Broncos. Williams and the team ran away in the championship game with a 42-10 victory. Williams himself was dominant in the matchup with 340 yards and four touchdowns to just one interception.
Williams retired in 1989, but he has had a distinguished career in several roles. He spent a year as a college football analyst for the Black Entertainment Network and had two stops as a head coach at the high school level. Williams also coached at the collegiate level, including a stint leading his alma mater, Grambling State.
Williams returned to the Washington franchise in 2014 as a personnel executive and was later named the Senior Vice President of Player Personnel. He currently serves as the senior advisor to team president Jason Wright.
Brown spent two seasons at Dodge City Community College before transferring to Kansas State. He led the Wildcats with 402 rushing yards in his final season before being taken in the eighth round of the 1969 NFL Draft. Brown was an immediate success with the team, earning four straight Pro Bowl selections as well as two First Team All-Pro honors in 1970 and 1972.
Brown's best statistical season -- 1,216 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 1972 -- garnered several distinctions. He was the NFL's Most Valuable Player, the Offensive Player of the Year and the NFC Player of the Year. Brown rushed for at least 100 yards in 21 contests and has the third-most all-time rushing yards in franchise history (5,875).
Brown has gone on to have other successful endeavors following his retirement in 1976. He is currently the vice president of NAI Michael Commercial Real Estate Services and served on the Board of Directors of Mellon Bank (MD), George Mason University's Board of Visitors, the Board of Associates of Gallaudet University and the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington, D.C. Sports Authority. He was a delegate to Japan with the American Council of Young Political Leaders.
Brown has also been involved in several charitable services with the Washington franchise. In addition to the team's Charity Golf Classic, he has been associated with the Prince George's County Special Olympics, the National Council on Disability, Friends of the National Zoo Advisory Committee, the Coalition for the Homeless and the Capital Children's Museum.
