His hands will be on the wheel, his foot on the gas. But Zeus will be driving him, just like old times.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe made me promise him I\u2019d play 10 years in the league,\u201d Orlando said. \u201cThat has always motivated me.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the Bengals face the Steelers on Sunday, just four days after the anniversary of Zeus\u2019 death, Orlando will tie his dad by playing his 129th career game.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, man, I didn\u2019t realize I was that close,\u201d he said when informed of the historic parallel. \u201cThat just gave me goosebumps. That\u2019s a hell of a stat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Customizing a Memory![\"Orlando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01m36n5y5h9ah2zbrycp.jpg\" "\\"Orlando")
<\/p>\n
Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (75) warms up before the NFL Week 2 game between the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
To some, a Rolls-Royce symbolizes luxury, status, wealth. For Orlando, it\u2019s a connection.<\/p>\n
When Zeus passed, much of his estate wound up being sold through the probate process. It\u2019s not that Orlando was expecting to drive the Phantom as soon as he turned 16, if ever. But seeing so many of the things that mattered so much to his dad just disappearing felt like losing him all over again.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why whenever he sees one of his Zeus\u2019 jerseys, football cards or other mementos on Ebay, he buys them.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s why his 2025 Rolls-Royce isn\u2019t just another Phantom from the assembly line. <\/p>\n
As part of a two-year custom build with numerous special and sentimental features, Orlando asked for dozens of lights to be inlayed in the ceiling, creating an exact constellation map of the day Zeus died.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw a shooting star that night, so they made one that goes across the ceiling every so often,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Zeus also had symbolic motives in mind when he bought his Phantom near the end of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe actually bought it for his mom because he said he always wanted to drive her around in a Rolls-Royce and show her a different kind of life because they had it rough when he was growing up,\u201d Mira said. \u201cIt was one of the dreams he had.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he wanted the finest car to transport his kids, but he needed something they could all fit into because they were all so big.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Zeus, the Phantom symbolized a dream realized.<\/p>\n
For Orlando, it was a promise kept. <\/p>\n
\u201cI always told myself that if I ever made enough money to buy three Rolls-Royces, that\u2019s when I would buy one,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The money that could have gone to buying two more Rolls-Royces went instead to the vow he made after Zeus\u2019 death.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe went on stage at the funeral and he talked about his dad, of course, but then he told the whole audience in this quiet room, \u2018Dad, I promise I\u2019m going to take care of my brothers and make sure we\u2019re all successful,\u2019\u201d Mira said. \u201cThat was pretty interesting for a 15-year-old to say. And he stayed with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Losing a father can derail a teenager\u2019s path through life, but Zeus\u2019 boys never drifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor 14 or 15 years, he instilled in us everything he knew,\u201d Justin said. \u201cWhen he was gone, that part stayed. Because of the upbringing he and our mom gave us; we turned out to be excellent people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The early foundation and the funeral proclamation have brought success and happiness to the family. Justin and Braxton own a tobacco company in Atlanta, while Mira is a syndicated radio host and podcaster, doing a show called \u201cHott Mama\u2019s in the City\u201d with her sister and cousin.<\/p>\n
Fighting for Football![\"Orlando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01m36n8edzj1ndny21zk.jpg\" "\\"Orlando")
<\/p>\n
Oct 28, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Orlando Brown (78) during the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
Zeus knew he couldn\u2019t drive his sons forever. Not because they\u2019d eventually get their driver\u2019s license, but because they would have to be self-driven to succeed in life.<\/p>\n
Initially he tried to steer Orlando away from football, but in eighth grade Orlando, who by then was well north of 400 pounds and woefully out of shape, insisted on playing.<\/p>\n
The initial reviews weren\u2019t great.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was overweight, slow, timid,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cNo one would have believed you when he was 12 if you would have told them he\u2019d be where he is now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, Zeus would have.<\/p>\n
So would Mira.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he was 2 years old, he\u2019d rather watch his dad\u2019s football film than cartoons,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was insane. I wish we had phones that could take video back then. I always knew he was going to play football.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Zeus died from diabetic ketoacidosis, which is caused by a lack of insulin, Orlando was barely two years into his football career. Though he was a sophomore bench warmer behind some offensive linemen who would earn Division I scholarships, he started drawing interest as well.<\/p>\n
Less than a week before his dad\u2019s death, Orlando took an unofficial visit to the University of Maryland. Two days later, Zeus dropped his sons off at school and dropped about $100 in cash on the ground and cackled as he drove off.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was always doing stuff like that,\u201d Justin said. \u201cHe loved to laugh, and he loved to make us laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though that was the last time Orlando saw his dad, it wasn\u2019t the last time they spoke.<\/p>\n
Orlando stayed with his grandfather during the week because he lived much closer to the school, and every night he would call his dad. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, two days before Zeus\u2019 death, Orlando needed more than just a check-in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had gotten in a fight at practice, and I was pretty upset,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n
The news was music to Zeus as he \u2013 and the DeMatha coaches \u2013 had been urging Orlando to be more aggressive.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was telling me it was OK to fight,\u201d Orlando said. \u201cHe was reminding me to stay physical, to maintain that mindset. We talked for a long time. It feels like the deepest conversation we ever had. Maybe it was because it was the last one, but something was different about his tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember hanging up and not necessarily feeling unsettled, but I didn\u2019t feel like everything was good,\u201d he added. \u201cI felt like something was off.\u201d<\/p>\n
It turned out Zeus, who was an undiagnosed diabetic, had been having flu symptoms and was self-treating by drinking a lot of juice.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis sugar just went sky high, and he went into a coma,\u201d Orlando said.<\/p>\n
To Infinity and Beyond![\"Orlando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01m36nb2nx82pmnq105w.jpg\" "\\"Orlando")
<\/p>\n
Sep 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (75) reacts after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n
The investigation into the cause of Zeus\u2019 death delayed his funeral for a couple weeks, and shortly afterward, Mira moved the family to Atlanta, where her sister lived.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was too much pressure to be in Maryland,\u201d she said. \u201cEverything reminded them of their dad. Just being at school, being dropped off by me instead of him. I knew we needed a change, so I packed everything up and we left in the middle of the night around midnight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the best choice I could have made for my sons.\u201d<\/p>\n
Orlando replayed the final phone call with Zeus on loop in his mind, using it to focus on his aggression and physicality at Peachtree Ridge High School. <\/p>\n
Maybe too much. <\/p>\n
He put his full attention on football, and his grades dipped to where he had a 1.7 GPA. Eventually, he heard his dad\u2019s voice guiding him in matters other than football, helping him find his way to the University of Oklahoma where he continued to grow into his talent, personality and manhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I ever truly accepted his death,\u201d Orlando admitted. \u201cI don\u2019t want to use it as an excuse, but it was hard growing up without a dad. There are so many things that come up in life when you need to lean on your dad for those situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t have him, but I feel very fortunate for the knowledge he would give me,\u201d he added. \u201cA lot of it wasn\u2019t knowledge you would typically give a 15-year-old. Fortunately he foresaw life for me, and in a way he was still there to help guide me. Fatherhood never ends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Orlando steers his own sons, Orlando III, 5, and Sonny, 2, through life. <\/p>\n
And he drives them places in his Phantom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey love it. They call it the spaceship because of the stars on the ceiling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Orlando\u2019s a better football player and a better father because of all the advice and lessons his dad imparted on him, many of which came on those long drives to and from school in the Phantom, Zeus with 129 NFL games behind him, and Orlando with 129 \u2013 and counting \u2013 stretched out on the road ahead.<\/p>\n
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