Brown played football at Temple City High School and later at USC as a Fullback 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 Captain America II: Death Too Soon, during the late 1970s, part of the same development deal that yielded the Lou Ferrigno vehicle, The Incredible Hulk.

In the film, Big Wednesday (1978), Brown played the role of "Enforcer." He landed the supporting role of the only starting white member (as a freshman) of the team in the college basketball comedy, Fast Break (1979), starring Gabe Kaplan. In Paul Schrader's 1979 film Hardcore, he plays a bouncer in a neon-lit sex shop who throws George C. Scott into the street after Scott's character becomes rowdy.

Brown was born in Los Angeles, California. He is married to Actress Cisse Cameron since Sept 8, 1979, who played the lead female character in Space Mutiny.

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, Private Edward Leonski.

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.

Brown later starred with Lou Ferrigno playing Vietnam War veterans/buddies in a pair of action films, Cage (1989) and Cage II (1994). Brown also appeared in Bruno Mattei's Strike Commando (1987) and Robowar (1988).

After not appearing on screen in fifteen years, Brown co-starred in the 2012 film, Night Claws.