Jerry Brown's death has sent shock waves through the NFL, in particular the Indianapolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys, the two teams Brown played for in 2012. Ryan Grigson, general manager of the Colts, has issued a statement regarding Brown (via George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin):
Grigson on Jerry Brown's death: On behalf of the entire Colts family, our sincerest condolences go out to Jerry's family and friends. #Colts
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) December 8, 2012
More Grigson: H2e was a good teammate that was well-liked by all. #Colts
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) December 8, 2012
More Grigson: Today's tragic news is just another reminder of how fragile life is and how every day given is a gift. #Colts
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) December 8, 2012
Brown was signed by the Colts in May as a rookie free agent, but was released in mid-October. He landed on the Cowboys practice squad, on the same team as his friend and former University of Illinois teammate, Josh Brent. It was Brent who, according to the police report, was driving a car while intoxicated early in the morning with Brown as his passenger. An accident caused the car to flip. Brown was unresponsive when police arrived, and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Brent was arrested on a charge of intoxicated manslaughter.