Pete Brewster
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Darrel Burton Brewster (September 1, 1930 – January 3, 2020), known as Pete Brewster, was an American professional football player who was an end in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Cleveland Browns. He played both college football and basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with Cleveland, and also played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After his playing career, he became a coach.
College career
Brewster played football and basketball at Portland High School, located in Portland, Indiana. After high school, he went to Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, on a basketball scholarship, playing for Ray Eddy. He also played varsity football as a Boilermaker for head coach Stuart Holcomb. .
Professional career
Brewster was selected in the 2nd round (21st overall) in the 1952 NFL draft. In his first season with the Cleveland Browns, he filled in on both defense and offense. He became the team's first-string offensive left end during his second season and was the team's second-ranking pass receiver during the 1953 season. He was selected for Pro Bowl honors in 1955 and 1956 at the tight end position. After seven seasons with the Browns, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for two seasons.
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the NFL championship | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1952 | CLE | 12 | 7 | 4 | 117 | 29.3 | 47 | 1 |
| 1953 | CLE | 12 | 12 | 32 | 632 | 19.8 | 45 | 4 |
| 1954 | CLE | 12 | 12 | 42 | 676 | 16.1 | 57 | 4 |
| 1955 | CLE | 12 | 12 | 34 | 622 | 18.3 | 41 | 6 |
| 1956 | CLE | 12 | 12 | 28 | 417 | 14.9 | 41 | 1 |
| 1957 | CLE | 12 | 12 | 30 | 614 | 20.5 | 56 | 2 |
| 1958 | CLE | 11 | 11 | 16 | 294 | 18.4 | 38 | 1 |
| 1959 | PIT | 9 | 7 | 22 | 360 | 16.4 | 42 | 2 |
| 1960 | PIT | 12 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 18 | 0 |
| 104 | 86 | 210 | 3,758 | 17.9 | 57 | 21 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1952 | CLE | 1 | 1 | 2 | 53 | 26.5 | 32 | 0 |
| 1953 | CLE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954 | CLE | 1 | 1 | 2 | 53 | 26.5 | 45 | 1 |
| 1955 | CLE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 |
| 1957 | CLE | 1 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 19 | 0 |
| 1958 | CLE | 1 | 1 | 3 | 56 | 18.7 | 29 | 0 |
| 6 | 6 | 11 | 223 | 20.3 | 45 | 1 |
Coaching career
Following the completion of his playing career, Brewster was a receivers coach with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings, earning a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV.
After football
Brewster retired from football and lived in Peculiar, Missouri on the outskirts of Kansas City. He is enshrined in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. He died in Belton, Missouri on January 3, 2020, at the age of 89.