Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In his final game for the Gators, tight end Barry Brown caught a game-high nine passes in the 1966 Sugar Bowl. The Gators lost to Missouri, 20-18, which didn't prevent UF quarterback Steve Spurrier from being named MVP.

Shortly after the Sugar Bowl, Brown joined the Baltimore Colts and found it difficult to catch a pass from quarterback Johnny Unitas with future Pro Football Hall of Famer John Mackey hunkered down at tight end. Brown hung on with the Colts for a couple of seasons, spent a season on defense with the New York Giants, and then closed his professional career by playing two seasons with the Boston Patriots.

Joseph Barry Brown died on Feb. 6. He was 76.

Brown was born in Boston on April 17, 1943. He later starred at Ann Arbor (Mich.) High School and began his college career at Michigan State. However, after a brief stay, he decided to transfer to play for head coach Ray Graves at Florida.

Brown lettered for the Gators in 1964 and '65. Following his football career, Brown carved out a career in real estate. His father, Earl M. Brown, served as head coach at Auburn from 1948-50.
 
Florida's football fraternity lost another member on Feb. 15 when former Gators center Ray Lawrence passed away.
 

Raymond Eugene Lawrence Jr. lettered for the Gators in 1980 and was part of the program from 1977-81 out of Port St. Joe High.

Lawrence later founded Athletes in Action at the University of Georgia and spent most of his adult life living in Athens, Ga., where he served as team chaplain for the Georgia baseball team.

Lawrence was 61.

You can read Lawrence's full obituary here.