Brewer was a fourth round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 1960 NFL Draft, and was also selected by the Minneapolis AFL team of the newly formed American Football League.

[1] He was a member of the Browns teams that won the NFL championship in 1964 over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts and the 1965 Eastern Conference championship team that lost the title game to the Green Bay Packers.

Brewer played slot end/tight end for the Browns until 1966 when he was converted to linebacker with the impending retirement of linebacker Galen Fiss and the presence of first round draft pick Milt Morin.

[2] Brewer announced his retirement from professional football in January 1968 to go into the insurance business.

[3] Later in the year, Brewer decided he would play football again if the Browns would trade him to a team closer to his home and insurance business.