Aside from his outstanding play, Hall of Famer and former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown was best known for his career longevity and ability to stay on the football field on a weekly basis.
In fact, Brown still holds the record for the most consecutive starts by a wide receiver with 176 during his 17-year career. But attaining that mark wasn't easy, as Brown had to go to great lengths to make sure he was able to suit up some weeks.
During an appearance on "The Jim Rome Show" on Thursday, Brown revealed that he once had the Raiders' training staff create an artificial hamstring for him out of a bicycle tube so he could play — and he managed to have success, too.
“I allowed the Raiders training staff to tape a bicycle inter-tube to my butt and to my calf to act as my hamstring," Brown said. "Caught a 65-yard touchdown like that.”
“I allowed the Raiders training staff to tape a bicycle inter-tube to my butt and to my calf to act as my hamstring. Caught a 65 yard touchdown like that.”@81TimBrown on being consistent in showing up to play during his Raiders tenure. pic.twitter.com/baMN8kaMQ3
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 13, 2024
Rome asked Brown about star edge rusher Maxx Crosby's recent comments about wanting to be a "Raider for life" and what the Silver & Black means to him.
Brown's answer didn't disappoint, and he also talked about almost leaving to play for the Denver Broncos following the 1993 season.
"I had a couple of opportunities to leave and a lot of people don't know but after the 1993 season, which was a great year for me — first year I made the Pro Bowl as a receiver — I signed a contract to go to the Broncos because there was so much going on with the Raiders," Brown said. "Marcus Allen had just left. I felt like I was picking up all the wrath that he had gotten and I just wanted to play football and not deal with that. But the Raiders brought me back. Had a long conversation with Mr. Davis and it really cleared the air for me to be there for the rest of my career, for the most part. He wouldn't let me finish out there, though. I wish I could have finished my 17th year there.
"But it's something about the Silver & Black, something about that fan base," Brown added. "They love so deeply that it's really something that you feel as if they are part of your family and you are part of theirs... And I tell these fans all the time, literally there were days going to practice or going to the game where you felt like this is going to be rough, but you think about that fan base. They're coming in there when we're 4-8 and 4-9 and 5-11 and they're still cheering us on, and if they can do that, we can certainly get up and put up a performance in front of them on gameday."
Brown not finishing his career with the Raiders will never be an easy pill to swallow, and that's especially true when you hear him talk about his love for Raiders fans and the franchise as a whole.
Brown's sensational tenure with the Raiders lasted 16 seasons. In that span, he was voted to the Pro Bowl a whopping nine times and racked up enough yards to hold the franchise record for most receiving yards by a wide margin.
He will forever be considered one of the best to wear the Silver & Black.
