Gene Herman Brito (November 23, 1925 – June 8, 1965) was an American football Defensive end in the National Football League who played nine seasons for the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Rams from 1951 to 1960.
[edit] Early career
Brito, born to a Spanish-American father and Mexican-American mother, grew up in Lincoln Heights, a then mostly Italian American neighborhood, located in Los Angeles, California. He attended Lincoln High School where he was a standout athlete.
[edit] College career
Brito graduated from Loyola Marymount University (then Loyola University) as a multi-sport athlete, starring in football, baseball, basketball, and track.
[edit] Professional career
Brito began his career as an offensive end, catching 45 passes in his first two seasons before being moved to defensive end in 1953. He was named the NFL Player of the Year by the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club after the 1955 season. Brito played in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders in 1954 where he was an All-conference selection in the CFL's Western Conference. In the NFL he was a five-time Pro Bowler in 1953 and from 1955 to 1958. He was selected as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins, a list compiled by the Redskins in 2002 to commemorate the 70-year anniversary of the team. He is one of four defensive ends on the team, along with Dexter Manley, Ron McDole and Charles Mann.
[edit] Personal
Brito was a staff sergeant in the U. S. Army and an Army paratrooper with U.S. forces in the Pacific during World War II.
Brito was elected posthumously to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.[1] He hosted "The Gene Brito Show" which aired prior to Redskins games in the 1950s making him one of the first NFL athletes to host a show and making him the most popular Redskins of his era.[2] He was then-Vice-President Richard Nixon's favorite player. Brito died on June 8, 1965 of ALS at the age of 39.[3]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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George Allen Head Coach 1971–77 • Cliff Battles RB 1932–37 • Sammy Baugh QB 1937–52 • Gene Brito DE, 1951–53, 1955–58 • Larry Brown RB 1969–76 • Dave Butz DT 1975–88 • Gary Clark WR 1985–92 • Jack Kent Cooke Owner 1961–97 • Bill Dudley RB, 1950–51, 1953 • Wayne Curry Prince George's County Executive 1994–2002 • Pat Fischer CB 1968–77 • Joe Gibbs Head Coach, 1981–92, 2004–07 • Darrell Green CB 1983–2002 • Russ Grimm G 1981–91 • Chris Hanburger LB 1965–78 • Ken Harvey LB 1994–98 • Len Hauss C 1964–77 • Phil Hochberg PA Announcer 1963–2000 • Ken Houston S 1973–80 • Sam Huff LB, 1964–67, 1969 • Joe Jacoby T/G 1981–93 • Dick James RB 1956–63 • Sonny Jurgensen QB 1964–74 • Charlie Justice RB, 1950, 1952–54 • Billy Kilmer QB 1971–78 • Eddie LeBaron QB, 1952–53, 1955–59 • Vince Lombardi Head Coach 1969 • Dexter Manley DE 1981–89 • Charles Mann DE 1983–93 • George Preston Marshall Team Founder & Owner 1932–69 • Wayne Millner End, 1936–41, 1945 • Bobby Mitchell Flanker 1962–68 • Brian Mitchell RB/KR 1990–99 • Art Monk WR 1980–93 • Mark Moseley PK 1974–86 • Brig Owens DB 1966–77 • Vince Promuto G 1960–70 • John Riggins RB, 1976–79, 1981–85 • Jerry Smith TE 1965–77 • Charley Taylor WR 1964–77 • Sean Taylor S 2004–07 • Joe Theismann QB 1974–85 • Lamar "Bubba" Tyer Head Athletic Trainer, 1971–2002, 2004–08 • Doug Williams QB 1986–89 •
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