Orlando Brown (American football)

Orlando Claude "Zeus" Brown (December 12, 1970 – September 23, 2011) was an American football player who played offensive tackle in the NFL. He attended Howard D. Woodson High School. He was released by the Baltimore Ravens in March 2006, and previously played for the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for Willie Jeffries at South Carolina State University.

Orlando Brown was born in 1970 in Washington, D.C. Brown attended H. D. Woodson Senior High School. He went to South Carolina State University and played offensive tackle.

First stint with Browns

Orlando Brown signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 1993. He spent three seasons with the Browns.

First stint with Ravens

In 1996, the Browns franchise was suspended, and former Browns owner Art Modell moved most of his players, including Brown, to Baltimore to become the Baltimore Ravens. In his first stint as a Raven, Brown who, at 6-foot-7, 360 pounds, was known as an energetic and intimidating player, earned the nickname "Zeus". In his prime he was one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL.

Second stint with Browns

Brown was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the "reactivated" Cleveland Browns before the 1999 season. During a December 19, 1999 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brown was accidentally hit in the right eye by a penalty marker weighted with ball bearings thrown by referee Jeff Triplette. Triplette immediately apologized to Brown. Brown was holding his hand to his eye and then shoved Triplette, knocking him to the ground. Brown was ejected from the game and subsequently suspended by the NFL, although the suspension was lifted when his injury did not heal. Brown was one of only two players to have played for the original Cleveland Browns and the Browns after the team was revived in 1999, as most of the Browns roster was moved to Baltimore. The other player is Antonio Langham.

Out of football, injuries, and lawsuits

Brown sat out the entire 2000 season waiting for his right eye to heal. The Browns released him after the season. In 2001, he sued the NFL for $200 million in damages. According to reports, he settled for a sum between $15 million and $25 million in 2002.

Second stint with Ravens

Brown spent the 2001 and 2002 seasons in rehabilitation before he was picked back up by the Ravens in 2003.

During the 2003 season while playing for the Ravens, Brown started at both offensive and defensive tackle in a game against the Oakland Raiders. He remained with the team until shortly before the 2006 NFL season, when he was released. Following his retirement, Brown retained ties with the Ravens and mentored players.

After retiring from football, Brown went into the restaurant business, and became the owner of the first Fatburger franchise in Maryland.

In September 2009, Brown was arrested and charged with third-degree burglary and destruction of property. The charges were later dropped.

Brown was found dead on September 23, 2011, in his Baltimore townhouse. The state medical examiner ruled that Brown died of diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment common among diabetics and caused by high blood sugar and lack of insulin. He is survived by three sons: Orlando, Jr., Justin and Braxton; and two daughters: Tanisha and India.