Brown played football at Temple City High School, and after graduating in 1966, played Fullback at the University of Southern California during the 1967 season. His acting career started in 1973, when he appeared in the films The Girl Most Likely to... and Sssssss. He later appeared in guest starring roles in several Universal Studios-produced television series, including Emergency!,Marcus Welby, M.D.,Kojak,The Eddie Capra Mysteries, and The Rockford Files. He also appeared as Rebel, a southern boy who has a fight with Ralph Malph in Happy Days, and played Jim Bridger in the all-star miniseries Centennial. Also appeared in Threes Company as Elmo, a date for Chrissy Snow. He also played Captain America in two made-for-TV films, Captain America and , during the late 1970s, part of the same development deal that yielded the Lou Ferrigno vehicle, The Incredible Hulk. In the film, Big Wednesday, Brown played the role of "Enforcer." He landed the supporting role of the only starting white member of the team in the college basketball comedy, Fast Break, starring Gabe Kaplan. In Paul Schrader's 1979 filmHardcore, he plays a bouncer in a neon-lit sex shop who throws George C. Scott into the street after Scott's character becomes rowdy. In 1983, Brown landed a lead role in the cult film classic Yor, the Hunter from the Future, as well as Blaster, a Viet Nam veteran character who trains with other vets in a P.O.W. rescue operation in Uncommon Valor. Critical acclaim for Brown came in the 1986 Australian film, Death of a Soldier, which was based on a true story. Starring James Coburn, Brown received a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Dramatic Role by the Australian Film Institute for his portrayal of serial killer, PrivateEdward Leonski. Brown later starred with Lou Ferrigno playing Vietnam War veterans/buddies in a pair of action films, Cage and Cage II. Brown also appeared in Bruno Mattei'sStrike Commando and Robowar. Brown has continued his career moving between television and feature films. He is perhaps best known for portraying the main character Dave Ryder in 1988's Space Mutiny, which was lambasted in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. He appeared in the third-season Miami Vice episode, "Viking Bikers from Hell," in which he played a sociopathic biker, avenging his buddy's recent death. After not appearing on screen in fifteen years, Brown co-starred in the 2012 film, Night Claws.
