Roosevelt Brown, 71; Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle With N.Y. Giants

Roosevelt Brown, 71, an offensive tackle who starred with the New York Giants in the 1950s and ‘60s and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died Wednesday of an apparent heart attack after collapsing in the garden at his home in Mansfield Township, N.J., according to police.

A native of Charlottesville, Va., Brown played football at Morgan State University and was drafted in the 27th round by the Giants in 1953. Playing at 255 pounds -- small by today’s NFL standards for offensive linemen -- Brown was voted to the All-NFL team for eight consecutive seasons and selected for nine Pro Bowls.

In 1956, he was named the league’s lineman of the year. After retiring, Brown served as the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach and later joined the scouting department. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975 and in 2000 was chosen for the NFL’s 75-year anniversary team.

“Rosie was a great Giant,” Wellington Mara, the 87-year-old owner of the Giants, said Thursday. “He was with this organization for more than 50 years as a player, coach and scout. He excelled in every area and he was always a gentleman.”