Twenty years ago on Monday, 27-year old Eagles defensive tackle Jerome Brown died in a one-car accident. In the Philadelphia Daily News, columnist Rich Hofmann remembers receiving the call that the charismatic star had been killed so suddenly.

“There was all of the shock because this huge man with a matching, playful personality was gone,” Hofmann writes. “The guy was just so much fun. It was impossible to forget the day this big kid of a man brought a new leather briefcase into the locker room and, when asked about it, half-proudly and half-conspiratorially unlatched it to reveal the full setup for a portable bar. There were dozens of moments like that, at least a couple of which are printable.”

The Daily News also talked to a number of former players about Brown in this article. It wasn’t just that Brown was such a good player (though he was, earning two All-Pro honors in his five seasons). It was also his personality and his leadership.

“I really felt like if Jerome was there the next season, we probably would have made it deep in the playoffs,” said Ron Pitts. “We did get there, but we could have gotten to the Super Bowl. When he passed away, there was a lot missing."

After Brown died in 1992, Reggie White, the other leader of the defense, left in free agency, and the Eagles defense simply wasn’t the same.

Coming soon, you can watch exactly what happened when the NFL Network unveils “A Football Life” on White and Brown.

Here’s a quick trailer.

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