60 Heroes: Hoby Brenner Unites the Players

As a superior blocker for the New Orleans Saints, Hoby Brenner never had any problem with getting rugged in the trenches for his teammates. The same resilience surfaced in the Pro Bowl tight end’s work for the NFLPA during the contentious negotiations of the 1980s.

As the Saints Player Rep from 1983 to 1992, Brenner organized his team in preparation for what would be a four-game players’ strike in 1987. While several injured Saints players accepted medical treatment from the club during the strike, Brenner personified leadership by paying for his own medical expenses. Along with establishing a picket line outside the team facilities, Brenner also helped organize workout sessions across the street to help keep him and his teammates in shape during the strike.

Brenner also served as a critical voice in the battle over a new random drug testing program for players that Commissioner Pete Rozelle tried to implement. In December 1985, he led a unanimous vote by the Saints not to submit to end-of-year drug testing since it violated a provision of the CBA that prohibited random testing. The NFLPA challenged the policy and an aribtrator later ruled that Rozelle's random drug testing plan was a violation of the CBA. As a result, the fines imposed on Brenner and his teammates for refusing to test were rescinded.

Along with his tenure as a Player Rep, Brenner also served on the NFLPA’s Executive Committee and Finance Committee – all of which make him a true hero in the union’s history.