Who is Joey Browner? Early Life, Career, Death and Net Worth
Joey Browner (May 15, 1960 – March 28, 2026) was an American former professional football player who played safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings from 1983 to 1991 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992. Browner played collegiate football for the USC Trojans.
Joey Browner Biography
Joey Matthew Browner family has produced six NFL players, including brothers Ross Browner (Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers), Jim Browner (Cincinnati Bengals), and Keith Browner, as well as Ross’s son Max Starks (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Keith Browner, Jr. (Houston Texans).
Joey Browner attended Western Reserve High School in Warren, Ohio for two years before moving to Atlanta, Georgia for his junior and senior seasons to attend Southwest High School. He was an All-State defensive lineman as a junior, played basketball with future NBA forward Gerald Wilkins, and competed in track and field, qualifying twice for the Ohio State meet.
Browner produced 120 unassisted tackles and three interceptions as a senior, receiving Parade All-American honours and Georgia’s 3A lineman of the year award. Browner was also voted the Atlanta Area Player of the Year. Browner was expected to join his three siblings at Notre Dame after high school, but he chose the University of Southern California instead.
Career
Browner was named USC’s Most Valuable Player in 1982. Other Trojan defensive backs were Dennis Smith, Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, and future Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. Browner has also collaborated with Anthony Muñoz, Marcus Allen, Charles White, and Paul McDonald.
He was also named to the first team All-Pac-10 and All-Coast. Browner has 243 total stops, nine interceptions, 40 passes defended, seven fumble recoveries, and three touchdown returns throughout his college career.
His USC teams posted a 36-8-1 record. He competed in one Rose Bowl game and one Fiesta Bowl.
The Minnesota Vikings selected Browner, a safety, 19th overall in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft.
Browner, an accomplished defensive player and tackler, was selected to six Pro Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings from 1985 to 1990. He retired with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992. Browner was a four-time member of John Madden’s “All-Madden Team”.
While with the Vikings, Browner flew to China with the NFL Players Association in 1988, Germany with the 1989 USO Tour, and Paris to kick off the French Federation of American Football Annual Championship game in 1991.
Browner made more than 1,100 total tackles, caused 18 turnovers, and recovered 16 of them; he also led the Vikings in nine defensive statistics during his NFL career. Browner has the NFL Pro Bowl record for three fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns. He has 40 interceptions in his career, totalling 505 yards, including the playoffs.
Browner was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings’ Ring of Honour in October 2013, during a Sunday night football game against the Green Bay Packers. That night, he was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honour as the 21st overall selection. Browner was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s 2019 Hall of Very Good Class.
Joey Browner Death
Joey Browner, the Minnesota Vikings’ first-round defensive back and a member of the organization’s Ring of Honour, died Saturday at the age of 65, the team confirmed on Sunday.
The Vikings did not reveal Browner’s cause of death.
Joey Browner Net Worth
Joey Browner’s net worth is expected to be over d $1 million. These figures represent his successful career as a former NFL player and prospective investment opportunities.