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[Lucky Forward]

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3174462

Incredible story. He was literally across the street when the WTC were coming down. I'm a big Ravens fan, but I'd never heard of his story until now.

Brown is best known for an incident a few years ago that saw the outraged lineman toss official Jeff Triplette after a flag was thrown in Brown's eye. The unfortunate incident caused a chain reaction of events, including the loss of sight in the eye for Zeus, punishment by the league, a lawsuit by Brown and an eventual settlement by the NFL which paved the way for Brown to return to the NFL.

Unsure of what was going on, Zeus began packing his belongings when the fire department announced over the hotel's public address system that a "small plane" had hit the tower and urged guests to remain in their rooms. Brown did as instructed and ended up witnessing the most horrific sights those oft-talked-about eyes would ever see.

"I looked out the window and I saw these people jumping out of the window," he recalled. "It was a sight to see and I never, I've seen people get shot and things like that but I've never seen anybody jump from that high. It was like a watermelon hitting the ground."

The metaphor is disturbing, nightmarish yet Brown couldn't peel himself away from the tragic scene.

"I was just sitting there counting. I couldn't believe it. It's like a movie, this ain't happening. I was counting them. I just couldn't believe...I counted like 20 or more from that front side. At first I just couldn't relate. I said that's not a body. You always hear if you jump from that high up you will pass out in the air. Nah, some of those people were alive ‘til they hit that ground.

"You could see it. You could see it."

"I got outside I saw all of these people bleeding, debris falling, people's heads busted open. People hollering and crying. By this time most people were walking towards the building and I'm running the opposite way."

This is where his first-hand account gets even more hectic. Brown knew he needed to flee the area so he actually began trying to stop taxi cabs to take him to safety. Imagine this scene: 6-foot-7, 365-pound massively muscular giant, tattoos sported proudly on his upper body with no shirt or shorts trying to get a cab. After predictably getting rebuffed by several drivers, one finally found out he'd have no choice in Brown's attempt at escape.

Brown stopped at a hotel uptown, gave the car back to the shaken up driver (along with a tip for the ride believe it or not) and took himself, half naked, inside to ask for a room to collect himself. But like the other cabbies who turned him down, so did the hotel clerk upon seeing the shirtless mountain of a man walk through the doors.

"I went inside and I didn't have my shirt on but I begged the people. I said can I please get a room? I know how I look but I'm an NFL player. I've got money."

But Brown was turned down. Once again, he took measures into his own hands.

"I'm in hyper mode and I'm scared," he said as he explained how he actually physically picked up the clerk to demand a room. "I did pick him up. I didn't hurt him but I said I know you got some rooms. Give me a room! The (manager) came over from the back she told me to put him down, 'we've got plenty of rooms.'"

 

[DarienA]

I am in awe of that story... absolute awe.... having spent alot of time in NYC I was able to visualize his movements through the city... that holds me even more in awe.... wow...