NFL alumni back with Fran Brown’s community push at Syracuse

Some charity golf events hand out trophies. Others hand out inspiration. In Baldwinsville, New York, Syracuse’s NFL alumni brought both and a whole lot of love for new Orange head coach Fran Brown.

It started as a lighthearted swing-and-smile day at the Upstate New York NFL Alumni Association charity outing.However, it quickly turned into something bigger. Between fairways and fundraising, former Syracuse stars came together not just to raise money. But to rally around the coach, they say, is finally bringing the program’s heart back.

NFL Alumni fired up over Fran Brown’s cultural reset

It didn’t take long for the praise to pour in. Former running back Robert Drummond, a physical force on the field in the late '80s, lit up when talking about Brown’s approach.

He pointed out that Brown has been seen picking up trash after games. Well, it wasn’t exactly something you expect from the head coach of a Power Five football team. But that’s the point. It’s not for show, it’s who Brown is.

NFL punter Riley Dixon, who played for the Orange in the early 2010s and is now with the Denver Broncos, called Brown’s outreach “legit.” What impressed Dixon most? Brown invited alumni to practices, workouts, and team events, not just for optics.

However, it was to genuinely reconnect generations. “It feels like we’re part of the program again,” Dixon shared during the outing. “Like we never left.”Then there’s James Mungro, the former Colts and Orange standout, who said the atmosphere now feels “night and day” compared to recent years. During Dino Babers’ tenure, many alumni said they felt pushed to the sidelines, distant from a program they once called home.

Now? They’re back in the locker room, on the sidelines, and mentoring student-athletes in real time.

Fran Brown, the strong community blueprint

At the heart of all this energy is Brown’s cultural playbook anchored in the D.A.R.T. values: Detailed, Accountable, Relentless, and Tough. But those aren’t just locker room slogans. They’re showing up in real life, at real events, and through real community outreach.Take the charity golf event itself. The outing benefited David’s Refuge, an organization that offers rest and support for caregivers of children with special needs.

But it also served as a loud and proud symbol of what Fran Brown is building: a program that sees football as more than wins and losses. It’s about lifting each other and bringing the entire Syracuse family, past, present, and future, back under one banner.That includes education, too. Brown’s been actively involved in teaching players how to navigate NIL opportunities, bringing in experts to help them protect their brand and earnings in a changing college sports landscape. He’s even made community service a bigger priority. Players are regularly seen working with local groups, schools, and nonprofits, deepening Syracuse’s civic presence like never before.Also read: How to get Hank Hill and Cleveland Brown skins in Fortnite