Paul Brown family embraced Norwalk honor

Editor's note: This story is part of an eight-page special section in the Oct. 25 print edition of the Norwalk Reflector. NORWALK — From the start, Paul H. Brown admitted he didn't know what to expect. As soon as the Cincinnati Bengals' vice-president of player personnel arrived in Norwalk on Oct. 21, he realized what the event meant to the community. Along with his wife, Sofia, and daughter, Nancy, Paul H. Brown helped unveil a statue of Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Paul Brown in front of Suhr Park on West Main Street. "It was my first time to Norwalk, so for someone who had never been here and to see the turnout of the people of Norwalk was great," Brown said. "Just sharing some of the stories of how everything came together on the project and how people kind of rallied around putting it all together is something that — as a grandson of the great coach Paul Brown — it's something that is quite an honor for me and my entire family." Paul H. Brown is the youngest grandson of the late coach Paul Brown, who was namesake and former head coach of the Cleveland Browns, and later co-founder, head coach and team president of the Cincinnati Bengals. After coach Paul Brown's death in August 1991, his son, Mike, took over ownership of the Bengals. At 88, Mike Brown still serves as president of the franchise. His daughter, Katie Blackburn, is executive vice-president of the Bengals. Her husband, Troy Blackburn, is the team's vice-president, while Paul H. Brown works in player personnel. In his role, Paul H. Brown assists Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin in various job responsibilities, including contract negotiations with free agents and players. The Bengals' bye this week allowed the Brown family to attend the unveiling event here, which was nearly two years in the making. The ceremony included reveals of both a historical marker from the Ohio History Connection and a life-sized statue of coach Brown. He is widely viewed as the most influential innovator in football history. "We're very lucky and proud to have a town like Norwalk that wanted to remember my grandfather," said Brown, who wore a suit, a tie and a fedora — each reminiscent of his grandfather's signature sidelines look — to the event. The statue is similarly dressed. "To put a statue out for everyone from Norwalk — or wherever they may be from — to come see and get to know a little of his history, it's quite a special feeling. "My grandfather was an amazing person, so to know the city of Norwalk felt he was such an amazing person to do something this incredible … It's beyond words and means so much." Other distinguished guests included former NFL standout Garin Veris, who played eight seasons for the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers. He is a donor relations officer for the Ohio History Connection. Pro Football Hall of Fame member Anthony Munoz also came to Norwalk. Munoz played all 13 seasons with the Bengals and is widely viewed as the greatest left tackle in NFL history, and often referred to as "the greatest Bengal of all time." He was drafted by coach Brown when he was team president of the Bengals in 1980. Both Veris and Munoz spoke to the crowd of more than 300 gathered in the closed block of West Main Street. "To have Anthony here — he meant so much to my grandfather," Brown said. "I really just want to say thank you from my family to the entire city of Norwalk and everyone involved. It's an amazing way to remember him." Naturally, Paul H. Brown's memories of the legendary coach are centered on football — but not all the time. "For me, I was his youngest grandson, so it was nothing but love and happiness and good times," he said. "Being around him for family dinners or going to the games, those memories stick out. I was old enough to go to games with him and, sitting as a kid in his office, I remember he had a tiger rug in there. "But riding to training camp with him, as a kid, you realize with him as your grandfather, there is a little more going on than you would maybe see hanging out with one of your friends' grandfathers. But that was the relationship, and I was really lucky to have a grandfather who left such a mark on the sport of football and the state of Ohio. It's a neat thing to have as a family legacy and something we're very proud of." The Bengals are now 3-3 and entered the bye week with a key home win over the Seattle Seahawks (4-2) on Oct. 15. The 17-13 victory kept them in what is shaping up to be another deep, tight race in the AFC North division. Cincinnati is amid a three-year stretch that has seen the team win back-to-back AFC North titles and make consecutive AFC championship game appearances in 2021 and 2022. The Bengals beat the Chiefs in Kansas City to reach the Super Bowl two years ago and lost in the final seconds at Arrowhead Stadium last season. The 25-14 record since the start of 2021 has been sparked in large part by quarterback Joe Burrow. The former Athens, Ohio State and LSU star quarterback was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. "Things are going pretty well," Brown said. "And the passion that Ohio fans have for Joe is pretty incredible." Cincinnati's previous two Super Bowl appearances came at the conclusion of the 1981 and 1988 seasons with Munoz as an anchor on the offensive line. Both losses came to the 49ers, with Super Bowl XXIII, a 20-16 loss, being decided in the final seconds. Paul H. Brown recalled Super Bowl XXIII as the most memorable in attending games with his grandfather. "I remember riding to and from that game with him," he said. "I well remember that drive to the stadium in Miami and driving home. I remember that very vividly. He was very passionate about the team and it meant everything to him and to all of us — and it still does. "We remember his legacy in our building and think about him all the time," Brown added. "His name and stories of him come up quite a bit. He's still a very big part of what's going on."