Brandon Browner, Seattle Seahawks.
Brandon Browner is just another fallen athlete. Like some other fallen football players that have squandered their fortunes, the former Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom member goes more into the Rae Carruth category of fallen athletes. Browner is just another reminder that athletes are not role models.
As a football player Brandon Browner was a special talent. His senior at Sylmar High School (near Los Angeles), the defensive back was named Most Valuable Defensive Player in 2001. He attended Oregon State, where he sat out his first season in Corvallis. After his redshirt first year, he earned PAC-10 freshman of the year and freshman All-American honors. Browner decided to turn pro before his senior year. He went undrafted.
For some, that may have been the end to their dream of playing professional football. Well, at least in the NFL, not for Browner. He spent some time camp with the Denver Broncos, only to sign with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. While in the CFL, Browner was a three-time All-Star.
In 2011 the Seahawks swooped in and signed him. It’s hard to find a 6-4 cornerback that can play at an elite level against the elite wide receivers. Browner was special. In his first year with Seattle, he started all 16 games, intercepted six passes, two of them for touchdowns, and made the Pro-Bowl. Talk about making an entrance in the NFL!
From there, the Legion of Boom was born, and the defense soared. We all know that the Legion of Boom with Browner, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas III, and Byron Maxwell reached its peak by going to back to back Super Bowls. The Seattle Seahawks won the first and made arguably the worst call in Super Bowl history in the second.
Some may forget that in the 2013 Seahawks Super Bowl-winning performance, Browner didn’t play in that game. I would say this is the start of his fall. The following year he signed with New England and made the key block that allowed Malcolm Butler to make the pick that ended the game and ultimately showed up the Legion of Boom.
Both Browner and the Legion of Boom were never the same after the 2013 season. After one year with the Pats, Browner signed the New Orleans Saints. He only spent one season in the Big Easy as well. After that, he never played another down in the NFL.
Backing up for a moment, it wasn’t all rainbows for Browner with the Seattle Seahawks. He was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
What we have seen in the past with players who get busted for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy is either they don’t do it again, or they get better at hiding it. Until they get busted again and ultimately find themselves out of the league *cough*Josh Gordon*cough*. Then there are others who go on a much deeper, darker path.
Browner’s legal troubles started when his playing days were over. Charged with at least five different criminal cases in 2017. Charges included possession of a controlled substance, disobeying a court order, and misdemeanor battery. His former girlfriend even filed a restraining order against him in 2017.
After a bunch of pleas on the five counts against him, Browner ended up with one day of jail time, 48 hours of community service, probation, anger management, and 52-week domestic violence treatment program.
I want to highlight all of this because I don’t believe it did enough to correct and reform Browner. This is where things get really really bad for Browner.
In July of 2018, Browner broke into his former girlfriend’s apartment. Upon escaping from her apartment, Browner dragged her back inside, where he began shoving her face into the carpet while smothering her. Next, he shoved her to the couch, threatening to kick her teeth out if she didn’t comply.
Finally, he informed her that if the cops show up, he will kill her before he goes to jail. Worst of all, this was happening in front of the ex-girlfriend’s two young kids.
This was the same ex-girlfriend who filed for a restraining order against Browner because he threatened to kill her. According to the Washington Post, her statement included this gem. “Physically, he has given me several black eyes. He has assaulted me and given me a broken tailbone, busted my eardrum. … I don’t feel safe leaving my children with him.” The court didn’t issue a permanent order.
California inmate BL7078 or Brandon Browner is serving the remainder of his eight-year sentence at Wasco State Prison. His sentence, handed down in December 2018, is for attempted murder and two misdemeanor counts of child cruelty.
It’s mine and others’ hope that spending eight years in prison reforms inmate BL7078 and that he continues to get the help he really needs. This story is sad, but the ending remains unwritten. Time will tell if inmate BL7078 changs for the better.