Former USC safety and Minnesota Vikings star Joey Browner died on Saturday at the age of 65, the Vikings announced on Sunday.

Browner’s cause of death is undisclosed, but a fundraiser organized by former Minnesota quarterback Tommy Kramer in August stated that Browner was “battling through some serious health issues.”

Browner made history as the first defensive back to be selected by the Vikings in the first round when the franchise drafted him with the No. 19 overall pick out of USC in the 1983 NFL Draft. Browner and long-time Vikings safety Harrison Smith are the only two safeties Minnesota has drafted in the first round.

“He helped define what it is to be an NFL safety,” the Vikings wrote in a post honoring the life and legacy of Browner.

Browner was a three-time, first-team All-Pro selection and a six-time Pro Bowler across nine seasons with the Vikings. He was part of the NFL’s 1980s Team of the Decade and inducted into the Vikings’ Ring of Honor in 2013. In 2010, Browner was list as one of the 50 Greatest Vikings in franchise history.

Browner is one of six brothers, who all played football at the collegiate level and four in the NFL. His younger brother, Keith Browner, also played at USC and died in November at age 63.

In addition to Keith, Browner’s older brother Ross died in 2022, then his older brother Jim died in 2024.

Browner’s Legacy at USC

Browner played all four seasons of his collegiate career with USC. During his senior season, he was a team captain in 1982 under USC head coach John Robinson.

As a senior, he was named a 1982 First Team All-Conference Selection and earned USC’s Mike McKever Award, which is awarded to the team’s Most Valuable Player. Additionally, Browner won the 1982 Marv Goux Award for making the most contributions to the USC-UCLA rivalry game.

Former USC and Vikings quarterback Sean Salisbury played with Browner at both the collegiate and professional level. Salisbury honored his former teammate on X on Sunday.

“This is a major gut punch,” Salisbury wrote on X. “I was blessed to be his teammate at USC and with the Vikings! Phenomenal player and loved by so many. One of the best players I’ve ever played with in both college and the NFL. Very grateful to have called him a good friend. God Bless him and his family.”

Browner was named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team in 2015 and ranks No. 15 on USC’s all-time punt return leaders.

Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images