Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Ross Browner dies at 67

Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Ross Browner, a starter on the 1981 AFC Champions and one of the best pass rushers in franchise history, has died at the age of 67.

Browner played nine seasons with the Bengals, and he ranks fifth all-time in Bengals history with 59 career sacks. 

He led the team in sacks in three different seasons and averaged almost seven sacks per year with Cincinnati. The Bengals picked Browner with the eighth overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame, and he became a starter during his rookie season.

Browner, a Warren, Ohio native, immediately made an impact and posted a team-high eight sacks during his rookie year in 1978. His career year came in 1981 when Browner had 10 sacks in the regular season for the eventual AFC champions. 

In the Super Bowl, Browner had one of the best games of his career. He was the only Bengals player who sacked San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, and Browner added a game-high eight tackles in the 49ers 26-21 win.

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Browner left the Bengals after the 1986 season and retired the following year.

At Notre Dame, Browner was a unanimous All-American and a two-time winner of the UPI Lineman of the Year award.  He was also named the Maxwell Award winner as the nation’s best player, becoming the only lineman to win the Maxwell during the 1970s.