Keith Browner, former USC star and NFL linebacker, dies ‘suddenly’ at 63

Former USC star and five-year NFL linebacker Keith Browner died suddenly Tuesday at the age of 63, his son, Keith Browner Jr., told TMZ.

Browner, a second-round pick in the 1984 draft, reportedly died at his home in San Leandro, Calif., and the family is “shocked” after his “unexpected and sudden” death.

The cause of death is not yet known, per the report.

Keith Jr. told TMZ that his father experienced stomach problems Monday night, resulting in him throwing up and feeling tired, and he planned to go to the hospital Tuesday morning.

The elder Browner reportedly collapsed on the floor next to his girlfriend while preparing to go to the hospital Tuesday.

Browner starred for USC from 1981-83, earning captain status for the 1983 season.

The linebacker earned the school’s Elmer C. “Gloomy Gus” Henderson Award in 1982 for playing the most minutes during the season.

The Buccaneers then selected him in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft with the No. 30 pick, and he appeared in 64 career NFL games with 44 starts.

Browner played for the Buccaneers from 1984-86 before spending the 1987 season with the 49ers and Raiders. He ended his career with the 1988 Chargers.

He tallied 10 1/2 sacks in his career.

Browner is one of many athletes from his family to achieve success athletically, with his late older brother, Ross, being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Another brother, Joey, also starred for USC before heading to the NFL. Two other brothers, Jim and Willard, played for Notre Dame, and his late brother, Gerald, played for Georgia.

“There’s not another family quite like us, not with all six brothers being high school All Americans, two of them being first round draft picks in the NFL and the success spanning to the second generation, too,” Willard told the Dayton Daily News in 2023.

Browner’s son played for USC rival California and appeared in three games for the 2014 Texans.