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Hall of Fame profile: Raiders WR Tim Brown

eric edholm

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 gets inducted on Saturday. Shutdown Corner will profile the eight new Hall of Famers, looking at each of their careers and their impact on the game.

Tim Brown
Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders 1988-2003
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2004
Wide receiver

Greatest moment

Brown's Raiders fell to 4-12 in 1997, but he turned in his best individual season that year — the one in which he became the franchise’e all-time receiving leader. Brown caught 104 passes for 1,408 yards, pacing the NFL in both categories, and set a team record with seven 100-yard games. He also tied an NFL record in 1997 with five games with 150 or more yards receiving, including a 14-catch game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That season, Brown reached the Pro Bowl for the seventh time, and he'd finish his career with nine berths.

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That was Brown's best indivudal season. His best team achievement came in the 2001 season when the Raiders reached Super Bowl XXXVII. Brown's Raiders made the postseason five times previously, and he was denied a chance to play on the biggest stage — including the brutal disappointment of the Tuck Rule game loss to the New England Patriots the season prior. But Brown had a nine-catch performance in the AFC title game that helped the Raiders advance to the Super Bowl, even though the Buccaneers and former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden blew them out. Still, Brown had waited 15 seasons to reach the game, and he finally got there.

Impact on the game

Brown didn't play on a ton of winners (only five double-digit-win seasons in his career), though he did end up playing in 12 postseason games. Throw in only two regular seasons in which he missed a game (after missing all but one game in his second season because of injury, Brown missed only one more game for his entire career), and Brown was one of the most dangerous receivers and punt returners of his generation. He also accomplished that despite not playing with elite quarterbacks for most of his career, and Brown was effective well into his mid-to-late 30s.

Case against his bust in Canton

The former Notre Dame star didn't break out until his sixth NFL season, never surpassing 693 receiving yards until that year. His 255 career games are an impressive total, but his receiving yards per game (58.6) ranks him a pedestrian 69th all-time when comparing him to other Hall of Fame wideouts. Brown made the Hall's final vote five times before getting in, as the receiver position has proven difficult for voters to consider in recent years.

Case for his bust in Canton

His longevity makes Brown impressive. Only 34 players have played more regular-season games, and 20 of those are kickers, punters or long snappers. His total of 19,682 combined net yards was fifth all-time when he retired. Brown also was named first-team All-AFC six times — once as a kick returner, once as a punt returner and four times at his primary position of wide receiver. Few players have displayed that versatility and game-breaking skill, and it's a reason why he was named to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team.

Notable quote

“Timmy did a lot of good things without a big-name quarterback,” Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson told The Press Democrat. “That adds to what he accomplished. That means at the top of his routes, he was open. Most great quarterbacks can throw people open. The not-so-good ones can’t. That means Timmy was getting open a lot of times. When he was at his best and some of the elite cornerbacks were covering him, he was still getting open.”

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 profiles

July 31: Ron Wolf
Aug. 1: Mick Tingelhoff
Aug. 2: Will Shields
Aug. 3: Junior Seau
Aug. 4: Tim Brown
Aug. 5: Jerome Bettis 
Aug. 6: Charles Haley
Aug. 7: Bill Polian

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!