“Lomas Brown: A heavyweight on the field, not the boxing ring” – Terry Foster
Many years ago, I routinely talked to Kronk Boxing trainer Emanuel Steward who groomed boxing champions from fly weights to heavy weights.
He is best known for developing welterweight and middleweight champion Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns. I often asked Steward where were the American heavyweight champions and he used to say they were on the offensive or defensive lines on some NFL team.
“The Lions got one right now,” Steward said. “I’d love to work with that Lomas Brown.”
Lomas was in the news recently for being inducted into the Pride of the Lions during a half time ceremony during the Monday Night game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Brown is simply the best left tackle in Lions history although he says Lou Creekmur deserves that honor.
Brown was a long-armed, lean by offensive lineman standards, who blocked for Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. Steward liked him because he could tie up opponents in the ring with those long arms. He also admired how he used to punch rush ends in the chest to keep them at bay.
There was one major road block to Brown becoming the next Mike Tyson. The man is too doggone nice. Brown greets everybody with a big smile and hearty smile. I often got on the wrong side of the Lions offensive line when I covered Brown. Honestly, I did not think the linemen outside Kevin Glover and Brown were very good.
I once walked into the Lions dressing room and noticed my column photo posted near the linemen with a big red clown nose covering my otherwise keen brown nose. Brown swore up and down he tried to stop his teammates, but I thought it was funny.
I deserved it.
Many Lions fans simply know Brown as Dan Miller’s broadcast partner for Lions radio broadcasts. They never got to see the footwork and the punches that made Brown one of the greatest Lions in history.
We will never see Brown in the boxing ring and that’s probably a good thing.
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For more from the author Terry Foster, check him out on Twitter here: @terryfosterdet
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Original Photo Credit: © Junfu Han / USA TODAY Network
