Joseph Thomas Browne (born March 6, 1947) is an American former National Football League (NFL) executive.
This award was given in recognition of outstanding contributions to professional football's growth, safety, popularity and its overall success on the field and behind the scenes.
After serving on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, he became a full-time NFL employee in 1970 and was named to several key front office posts by then-commissioner Pete Rozelle during the next 20 years.
Browne later was appointed the NFL's first-ever vice president by then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue in April 1990.
He was the first scholarship basketball player at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, where he is a member of his alma mater’s hall of fame.