PRO FOOTBALL
Orlando Brown, Who Sued N.F.L. Over Errant Flag, Dies at 40
By DANIEL E. SLOTNIK | SEPT. 23, 2011
Orlando Brown, a bruising offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens who was temporarily blinded in one eye by a referee’s errant penalty flag, leading him to file a $200 million lawsuit against the National Football League, was found dead Friday in his Baltimore apartment. He was 40.
There were no signs of foul play or suspicious materials at the scene, Anthony Guglielmi, director of public affairs for the Baltimore Police Department, said.
Brown, a 6-foot-7, 360-pound lineman nicknamed Zeus, was a stalwart for both the Ravens and the Browns. He was one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the N.F.L. and started 119 games in his 129-game career.
Brown was sidelined by an accident on Dec. 19, 1999, while playing for the Browns in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. When the referee Jeff Triplette tossed his flag, weighted with BBs, it struck Brown in the right eye, missing his helmet’s face guard. Brown walked off the field, but furious, he returned and shoved Triplette to the turf.
The league suspended him indefinitely for assaulting Triplette but lifted the suspension after it was found that the flag had temporarily blinded Brown. The Browns released him in 2000.
Daniel E. Slotnik wrote: