Tim Brown - Loyalty In The Face Of Adversity

In this day and age it is impressive for one player to remain with the same team for his whole career. But Tim Brown doesn't appear to be the average NFL player. He doesn't jump to the next best offer, choosing instead to bide his time as he seeks the coveted Super Bowl Ring. During his career he has had substantial offers from the Denver Broncos and the Dallas Cowboys. But Brown remains faithful to his club, even though he often thinks he's not utilized enough—a feeling recently brought to the surface when the Raiders acquired Jerry Rice from the 49ers. Sports Illustrated noted that "while other receivers of his caliber have game plans built around them, [Brown] has been, for much of his career… someone to go to in case of emergency." He doesn't like feeling like a last-chance guy, and though his numbers don't indicate that this is the case, some of the maneuverings of the front office suggest otherwise.

Though he has weathered some rocky times with the Raiders franchise and club owner Al Davis, Brown seems to have come through the adversity a stronger and more devoted Raider. Nancy Gay wrote in Sports Illustrated that Brown "remains an anomaly in the transient world of today's NFL." Brown wants a Super Bowl victory. His team has made it into the AFC playoffs with the best record in the league. "I just didn't want to be known as the guy who ran out of the burning house and left everybody behind," he told Sports Illustrated. His loyalty may yet pay off.