Bryce Brown
Template:Infobox CollegeFootballPlayer Bryce Brown (born May 15, 1991 in Wichita, Kansas) is an American football running back. He attended the University of Tennessee in during freshman year, but decided to leave the football program in March 2010.[1] However, Voluteers coach Derek Dooley decided not to release Brown from his scholarship, which means Brown will have to pay his own way at Kansas State University in 2010 as he sits out due to NCAA transfer rules.[2]
While playing at Wichita High School East, he won the 2008 Hall Trophy for the best high school player in the United States and was ranked atop of the Rivals.com ranking of his class, the first running back to do so since Adrian Peterson in 2004.[3] In 2008, he was also dubbed the best high school running back prospect of the last five years.[4] In 2008, Rivals.com′s Barry Every compared Brown to Miami Dolphins player Ronnie Brown.[3]
High school career
Brown has been clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.32 seconds.[5] A First Team All-Wichita selection as a freshman, he rushed for 1,472 yards and 12 TDs. He followed that up with an even more impressive sophomore campaign, rushing for 2,039 yards and 26 TDs. Brown was a consensus First Team All-State selection as well as EA Sports National Sophomore of the Year. He amassed more than 50 scholarship offers. He wore #24 in his Freshman and Sophomore seasons.
During his junior year, Brown rushed for 1,825 yards on 207 carries (8.8 avg) and 23 touchdowns, earning him All-City and All-State honors. He wore #5 in his Junior year. He was also recognized as a member of the Kansas “Fab 11” and was the lone junior that was named a USA Today Prep All-American.[6] For his senior season, he wore #11 in honor of his brother, Arthur Brown.[7] Tom Lemming of CSTV considered Brown to be better than all of the 2008 running back crop (which includes Darrell Scott and Jermie Calhoun).[8] Brown is believed to be the top running back prospect from Kansas since Barry Sanders.[9]
Arthur Brown committed to the University of Miami in December 2007, which led to rumors whether Bryce may complete his high school in Coral Gables, Florida, since their mother once told USA Today that Bryce “is wanting to go to high school wherever Arthur chooses to go to college.”[10] Bryce Brown, however, eventually decided to remain in Wichita for his senior season.[11]
In October 2008, Brown was selected to the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[12] Brown finished the 2008 season with a Wichita City League regular-season record 1,873 yards rushing, giving him 7,209 rushing yards overall, also a City League record.[13] He was named to the USA Today All-USA First Team for the second successive time.[14]
Recruiting
His workouts, recruiting and news media requests are handled by Brian Butler, a former felon, rapper, and mobile phone salesman who identifies himself as Brown's trainer and manager.[15][16] Butler sold updates of Brown's recruitment via website for $9.99 a month or $59 a year and sought contributions that he says are used to take players on a tour of colleges each summer.[15] At one point, Butler announced Brown was considering entering the Canadian Football League (CFL), but Brown backed down from that claim.[16] As of February 2009[update], Brown is being investigated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s amateurism certification staff to determine whether Butler has done anything to jeopardize the amateur status of the players he advises.[17]
On February 22, 2008, Brown chose to follow his brother and orally committed to the University of Miami.[18] However, Brown did not sign a letter of intent on National Signing Day 2009, but instead planned to announce his decision on March 16, naming five other "finalists" despite his oral commitment to Miami: LSU, Tennessee, Oregon, USC, and Kansas State.[16] Said ESPN.com′s Tom Luginbill: “If I was Randy Shannon and the Miami staff, I would tell the kid and Brian Butler to go jump in a lake. I got to imagine that deep down, Miami's coaches have to be thinking, ‘This is getting ridiculous.’”[19] Prior to his announcement, Brown paid official visits to Oregon and Clemson,[20] and finally took an impromptu visit to Tennessee on March 13.[21]
Citing an anonymous source, the Associated Press reported the University of Miami would not reissue a national letter of intent to Brown to replace the one that expired Wednesday, February 18.[22] Brown's advisor Brian Butler told AP he was unaware those scholarship offers have an expiration date, but reiterated that Brown would not sign until March 16.[23] According to Palm Beach Post′s Jorge Milian UM coach Shannon called Brown on Tuesday, February 17, and allegedly told him the University of Miami was no longer interested in his services.[24] However, Brown later told Wichita Eagle that Shannon still wanted him to be a Hurricane.[25] Due to NCAA rules, Shannon was not allowed to comment.
On March 16, 2009, Brown announced at a press conference at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita, Kansas, that he will attend the University of Tennessee. "I feel that's the school that's gonna prepare me the best to go to the next level," Brown said at the press conference.[26]
College career
Entering college with an enormous amount of hype, Brown was expected to see considerable playing time during his true freshman year and spent the 2009 season in the top two running back rotation.[27][28] His amateur status was under investigation by the NCAA prior to the season,[29] but Brown was cleared only a few days later.[30]
Brown spent the season as a backup to senior Montario Hardesty. Brown finished the season with 460 yards rushing, second on the team behind Hardesty. He also had three rushing touchdowns.
On the first day of Tennessee's 2010 spring practice, Brown announced his decision to leave the program. Volunteers' coach Derek Dooley said that Brown will remain enrolled at Tennessee for the rest of the spring semester but did not indicate if he would then transfer.[1] His brother Arthur recently transferred from the University of Miami to Kansas State University, leading to speculation about Bryce following him.[31]
Personal
Bryce is the son of Arthur Sr. and Lelonnie Brown. His uncle Lawrence Pete is a former Detroit Lions player.[32]
His older brother Arthur is a former five-star linebacker recruit and currently attends Kansas State University. According to Jeremy Crabtree of Rivals.com, the Browns were the first brothers ever to be both ranked five-star recruits.[10]
References
- ^ a b "RB Bryce Brown leaves Tennessee's football team". USA Today. March 18, 2010..
- ^ Ward, Austin (July 30, 2010). "Brown will not be released from scholarship". Knoxville News Sentinel.
- ^ a b The Battle for No. 1: Why Bryce Brown?
- ^ Past vs. Present: Look back at the best
- ^ Buchanan, Olin (2008-12-29). "Brown is quick to slow down". Rivals.com.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ USA Today All-USA team 2007
- ^ Long, Jonathan (2008-08-27). "Bryce Brown gets chance to lead East". The Wichita Eagle.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Chicago Sun-Times: Class of '08 in spotlight
- ^ Sports Illustrated, Issue from August 23, 2007.
- ^ a b Steve Wieberg (2007-09-06). "Wichita gems hail from same team … and family". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ Yahoo! - Rivals.com: No place like home for Brown?
- ^ East High’s Brown Selected to National All-Star Game
- ^ Lutz, Bob (2008-12-07). "Sometimes being great isn't enough, as East's Brown has learned". Wichita Eagle.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|curly=ignored (help) - ^ USA Today 2008 All-USA team
- ^ a b Evans, Thayer (2009-02-03). "In Kansas, a Players' Agent Lines Up the College Recruits". New York Times.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Steward Mandel, From Brown to Kiffin, here are 10 offseason storylines to watch, SI.com, February 13, 2009, Accessed February 14, 2009. Cite error: The named reference "SI021309" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Evans, Thayer (2009-02-26). "N.C.A.A. Investigates Role of a Recruit's Adviser". New York Times.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Wolters, Levi (2008-02-22). "Bryce Brown selects Miami". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Milian, Jorge (2009-02-11). "Top recruit's path anything but ordinary". Palm Beach Post.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Bryce Brown Profile". Scout.com. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- ^ Hooker, Dave (March 13, 2009). "Nation's top recruit, Bryce Brown, visits UT". Knoxville News-Sentinel.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Navarro, Manny (2009-02-17). "Miami Hurricanes might rescind offer to prized recruit Bryce Brown". Miami Herald.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "AP: Bryce Brown won't sign with Miami by deadline". USA Today. 2009-02-17.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ On Tuesday, UM told Bryce Brown: "No thanks."
- ^ Brown says Miami still interested
- ^ "Bryce Brown signs with Tennessee". VolunteerTV.com. 16 March 2009.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Farmer, Dennis (August 4, 2009). "The 2009 Vols are loaded in the backfield". Tennessee Volunteers Examiner.
- ^ Staples, Andy (August 7, 2009). "Freshmen most likely to make an immediate impact in 2009". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "Tennessee Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin says NCAA investigating Bryce Brown's eligibility". ESPN. August 19, 2009.
- ^ "Tennessee's Bryce Brown cleared after NCAA investigation". USA Today. August 27, 2009.
- ^ Ubben, David (March 18, 2010). "K-State cashing in on second Brown brother?". ESPN..
- ^ Thayer Evans (2007-06-04). "A Linebacker's Legend Is Growing in Kansas". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-10.