He played college football at the University of Tulsa and then professionally for the San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and the Denver Broncos.
He then enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a Paramarine during the Second World War, before playing football at Tulsa and eventually professionally.
[5] The Rams once offered a $500 bounty to any player who could take him out, and he had his shoulder pads checked before a game once to make sure he did not have metal plating or other such material stuffed in them.
His reputation was such that supposedly, on one occasion, when future Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Waterfield was hit by a motorist, his first response was, "I didn't know that Hardy Brown was in town.
"[7] Brown died in 1991 in a mental institution after suffering from dementia,[8] emphysema, and arthritis in his right (knockout) shoulder so bad he couldn't lift his arm to scratch his head.