Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/145833
The Browner brothers, (from left to right) Ross, Willard and Jim, were all part of the 1976 team, and Ross and Jim helped the Irish win the national title in 1977. Photo courtesy notre dame media relations Band Of Brothers Left tackle Zack Martin could have become a wealthy man this year instead of returning for his fifth year of eligibility at Notre Dame, but he couldn't put a price tag on possibly starting together with his brother, Nick. "You get an opportunity like this only once in a lifetime to play with your brother and be part of something special," he said. Top brother duos to start in the same season at Notre Dame over the last four decades include: 1. Mike & Willie Townsend (1972) — Safety Mike led the nation in interceptions with 10, while split end Willie paced the Irish in receptions with 25 for 369 yards and four scores. The next season, Mike was a tri-captain for the national champs while Willie backed up Pete Demmerle. 2. Ross & Jim Browner (1975-77) — In 1975, sophomore defensive end Ross had a team-high 16 tackles for loss while freshman fullback Jim rushed for 394 yards. In 1976, Ross won the Outland Trophy while recording a school-record 28 tackles for loss, and Jim recorded 80 tackles and two game-saving interceptions at strong safety. For the 1977 national champs, Ross won the Lombardi Award and Maxwell Award, while Jim had 73 stops and a team-high five fumbles recovered. Another brother, Willard, was a freshman on the 1976 team, rushing for 170 yards before transferring to Tulane. 3. Dave & Tim Huffman (1977-78) — Dave earned All-America honors at center as a 1978 senior while sophomore Tim started 10 games at right guard on a team that finished No. 7 in the country. 4. Tony & Reggie Brooks (1990-91) — Tony rushed for 451 yards as a junior in 1990, and sophomore Reggie played cornerback, highlighted by a late interception to preserve a 28-24 win over Michigan. The following year, Tony rushed for 894 yards while backed up by Reggie, who would finish fifth in the Heisman balloting the next season. — Lou Somogyi