Joey Browner

Joey Browner, a six-time Pro Bowl selection safety for the Minnesota Vikings in the 1980s and '90s, died March 28, 2026, at the age of 65.

Born May 15, 1960, Browner attended Western Reserve High School in Warren, Ohio and Southwest High School in Atlanta. In addition to high school football, he played basketball and ran track. He went on to the University of Southern California, where he was the football team's 1982 MVP. His strong college career led to a first-round pick by the Vikings in the 1983 NFL draft.

Browner played for the Vikings for nine of his 10 NFL seasons, earning spots on the franchise's 40th anniversary team in 2000 and 50 Greatest Vikings list in 2010. He was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls in 1985 through 1990, and he was a four-time pick of broadcasting great John Madden (1936–2021) for his All-Madden Team.

Though he played a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992 before his career's end, Browner is widely associated with the Vikings. In 2013, he was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor. He was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame multiple times.

Browner was one of four brothers to play in the NFL. His brothers, Ross, Jim, and Keith Browner, all made it to the league, as did his nephews, Max Starks and Keith Browner Jr.

By Linnea Crowther

(Image: Paul Spinelli via AP)