Curtis Brown (running back, born 1984)

Last updated

Curtis Brown
Personal information
Born: (1984-03-03) March 3, 1984 (age 40)
Palmdale, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
College: BYU
Position: Running back
Undrafted: 2007
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× first-team All-MW (2005, 2006)
  • Second-team All-MW (2004)

Curtis Brown (born March 3, 1984) is an American former football running back. He briefly played for the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2007. Brown played college football at BYU, where he set the school record for rushing yards.

Contents

Early life

Brown was born on March 3, 1984, in Palmdale, California to parents Herman and Cheryl Brown. He attended Paraclete High School in Lancaster, California, where he played interscholastic football. As a freshman, he recorded 1,094 rushing yards. During his sophomore year, he set the California state record for rushing with 2,645 yards. During his senior season, Paraclete finished with a perfect 12–0 record and secured its fourth consecutive CIF Division XII championship. In total, Brown amassed 7,045 career yards during his high school years. His honors included a place on the 1999 All-California Interscholastic Federation Division XII team and selection as an All-CIF Division XII Co-Offensive Player of the Year. [1]

College career

Brown was recruited out of high school by Washington State, Clemson, Idaho State, UCLA, and Miami (Ohio), before he ultimately committed to attend Brigham Young University. [1] He later said he believed his experience at a private high school prepared him for the culture shock of the overwhelmingly Latter-day Saint, predominately white campus at Brigham Young, but was surprised at the difficulty of the adjustment. [2] During his freshman year at BYU, he considered transferring to another school. [3] In February 2004, Brown was baptized and confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mother, who like the rest of his family is not a Latter-day Saint, expressed happiness for Brown's decision and appreciation for the support of the BYU community. [4] Brown played alongside running back Fahu Tahi, whom he nicknamed "Pops" for his extended tenure with the Cougars. [5] During Brown's time at BYU, he was mentored by former record-setting running back Luke Staley. [6]

As a true freshman during the 2002 season, he saw action in all twelve games. Against Utah State, Brown replaced injured starter Marcus Whalen, and rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns, and made four receptions for 48 yards. Brown became the fourth BYU player to run for more than 200 yards in a single game. The performance helped the Cougars recover from a deficit to win, 35–34, and earned him honors as the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week. [7] Brown sat out the 2003 season as a redshirt. [1]

In 2004, Brown played in all eleven games and was named to the All-Mountain West Conference second-team. [1] Against UNLV, BYU lost, 24–20. In the game, Brown received only eight carries, but ran for 102 yards, and "the Rebels were seemingly helpless to stop" him. [8] The Salt Lake City Tribune noted that he refused to criticize the playcalling of head coach Gary Crowton and instead replied, "I just do my thing." [9] Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn said of Brown, "He's got some strong legs. Las Vegas put some great shots on him and he ran through some tackles. You've really got to bring your feet when you tackle this guy." [8] Against San Diego State, Brown recorded 106 rushing yards on 16 carries, which made him the first BYU player since 2001 to post four consecutive 100-yard performances. He gave credit for his play to the BYU offensive line. [10] Brown pushed his college career mark past 1,000 rushing yards in the game against New Mexico, which made him only the fourth BYU player to surpass that number as a sophomore. [1]

As a junior in 2005, Brown recorded 210 carries for 1,123 rushing yards and 53 receptions for 454 receiving yards. He was named to the All-Mountain West Conference first-team, and was twice named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Air Force and Wyoming. [1]

In his final season in 2006, he repeated as an All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection and recorded 1,010 rushing yards. John Beck and Brown became the first BYU quarterback-tailback tandem to twice record 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards, respectively, in the same season. [1] Brown became the all-time rushing leader at BYU during his senior year. From 2002 to 2006, he accumulated 3,218 career yards, which eclipsed the previous mark set by Jamal Willis. [11] After breaking the rushing record, Brown praised the play of the offensive line rather than take credit for the accomplishment himself. [3] He averaged over five yards per carry during his college tenure. [12] Brown's record was in turn surpassed by Harvey Unga on November 21, 2009. [13]

After college, Brown was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals and played on the team during the 2007 preseason. He saw action in all four games and recorded stats against Detroit, New Orleans, and Indianapolis. [14] Ultimately, he did not make the team's final roster.

Related Research Articles

Lucas Staley is an American former college football running back who played for the BYU Cougars. Staley was a consensus All-American and received the Doak Walker Award as the best college running back in the nation in 2001. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft, but he suffered a career-ending knee injury before appearing in a regular season pro football game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy War (BYU–Utah)</span> Football Rivalry between Brigham Young University and the University of Utah

The Holy War is the name given to the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars and the University of Utah Utes. It is part of the larger BYU–Utah sports rivalry. In this context, the term "Holy War" refers to the fact that BYU is owned and administered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the U of U is a secular, public university with a substantial LDS student population. The current president and head football coach at the U of U are also LDS Church members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BYU–Utah rivalry</span> American college sports rivalry

The Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars and the University of Utah (Utah) Utes have a longstanding intercollegiate rivalry. The annual college football game is frequently referred to as the Holy War. In the 1890s, when BYU was still known as Brigham Young Academy (BYA), the two schools started competing athletically. The schools have met continually since 1909 in men's basketball, and met once a year in football from 1922 to 2013, with the exception of 1943–45 when BYU did not field a team due to World War II. Both schools formerly competed in the Mountain West Conference, but both teams left the MWC in 2011—Utah joined the Pac-12 Conference and BYU became a football independent while joining the West Coast Conference for other sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Unga</span> American football player and coach (born 1987)

William Harvey Unga is a former American football fullback and the current running backs coach for the Brigham Young University football team. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears with a seventh round pick in the 2010 NFL supplemental draft. He played college football at Brigham Young where he became the school's second all-time leading rusher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 BYU Cougars football team</span> American college football season

The 2007 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. BYU clinched its second consecutive Mountain West Conference (MWC) championship title outright after defeating Utah on November 24. It was BYU's second consecutive, undefeated season in the MWC, its fourth MWC championship since the league began in 1999, and its 23rd conference title. At the beginning of the season the Cougars had won an MWC record 16 straight league games dating back to 2005 and were on a ten-game overall winning streak, the longest winning streak in the country at the time. The Cougars began the season with the second longest winning streak in the country at 11 wins until their loss to UCLA in the second regular season game. The Cougars ended this season ranked 14th in the nation, highest of all schools from non-AQ conferences. This finish was the highest back-to-back rankings in the AP Poll since the Cougars won the national championship in 1984.

The 1977 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) for the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Cougars were led by sixth-year head coach LaVell Edwards and played their home games at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. The team competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, winning a share of the conference title for the second consecutive year, sharing the title with Arizona State with a conference record of 6–1.

The 1980 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) for the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cougars were led by ninth-year head coach LaVell Edwards and played their home games at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. The team competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, winning their fifth consecutive conference title with a conference record of 6–1. After a season-opening loss to New Mexico, BYU ended on a 12-game winning streak, including a victory over SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl, finishing 12–1 overall and ranked 12th in the final AP Poll. The Cougars' offense scored 606 points during the season for an average of 46.6 points per game. They scored over 50 points in a game five times, including two games scoring over 70 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Liberty Bowl</span> College football game

The 1998 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 1998, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The 40th edition of the Liberty Bowl, the game matched the BYU Cougars of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the Tulane Green Wave of Conference USA (C-USA). The game was sponsored by the Axa Equitable Life Insurance Company and was branded as the AXA/Equitable Liberty Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 BYU Cougars football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars, led by head coach Bronco Mendenhall, played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium. This was the second year BYU competed as an independent. They finished the season 8–5. They were invited to the Poinsettia Bowl where they defeated San Diego State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 BYU Cougars football team</span> American college football season

The 2013 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars, led by head coach Bronco Mendenhall, played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium. This was the third year BYU competed as an independent. They finished the season 8–5. They were invited to the Fight Hunger Bowl where they lost to Washington, 31–16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Fight Hunger Bowl</span> College football game

The 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl is an American college football bowl game that was played on December 27, 2013, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The 12th edition of the Fight Hunger Bowl, it featured the Washington Huskies, from the Pac-12 Conference, against the BYU Cougars, an independent team. The game began at 6:30 p.m. PST and aired on ESPN. It was the last Fight Hunger Bowl game played at AT&T Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taysom Hill</span> American football player (born 1990)

Taysom Shawn Hill is an American football utility player officially designated as a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at BYU and joined the Saints in 2017 as an undrafted free agent. Hill was listed as a quarterback on the Saints depth chart during his first five seasons, though he took snaps at seven different positions. Hill was designated as a tight end beginning in 2022 before once again being listed as a quarterback in 2023. He has maintained similar roles on offense and special teams throughout his career, including as the Saints primary gunner. Hill's array of utilization has earned him a reputation as a unique player in the NFL. Due to his versatility, he is known as "The Human Swiss Army Knife" by Saints' media.

The 1965 BYU Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1965 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Tommy Hudspeth, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 6–4 with a mark of 4–1 in conference play, won the WAC title, and outscored opponents 229 to 178. The conference championship was the first program history.

The 1960 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1960 NCAA University Division football season. In their second and final season under head coach Tally Stevens, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 3–8 record with a mark of 2–5 against conference opponents, tied for fifth place in the Skyline, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 207 to 102.

The 1957 BYU Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1957 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Hal Kopp, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 5–3–2 with a mark of 5–1–1 against conference opponents, finished second in the Skyline, and were outscored by a total of 138 to 134.

The 1958 BYU Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Brigham Young University (BYU) in the Skyline Conference during the 1958 NCAA University Division football season. In their third and final season under head coach Hal Kopp, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 6–4 with a mark of 5–2 against conference opponents, finished third in the Skyline, and outscored opponents by a total of 189 to 150.

The 1961 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In their first season under head coach Hal Mitchell, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 2–4 against conference opponents, tied for fifth place in the Skyline, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 289 to 130.

The 1962 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1962 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Hal Mitchell, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 4–6 with a mark of 2–2 against conference opponents, tied for second place in the WAC, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 197 to 170.

The 1963 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1963 NCAA University Division football season. In their third and final season under head coach Hal Mitchell, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 0–4 against conference opponents, finished last out of sixth place in the WAC, and were outscored by a combined total of 222 to 91.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Allgeier</span> American football player (born 2000)

Tyler Allgeier is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at BYU and was selected by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Player Profile: Curtis Brown Archived November 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Brigham Young University, retrieved August 26, 2010.
  2. ↑ A Question Of Faith; Can Bronco Mendenhall return BYU football to glory and still honor the school's mission?, ESPN, November 21, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Brown embracing the challenge, The Salt Lake Tribune, November 22, 2006.
  4. ↑ Curtis Brown Baptism Testimony of Faith for Family Archived April 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , Scout.com, February 23, 2004.
  5. ↑ BYU backfield: 'Pops' and Brown, Deseret News, August 16, 2004.
  6. ↑ Brown gets mentoring from Staley, Deseret News, November 13, 2005.
  7. ↑ Brown Earns MWC Weekly Football Honor, The Salt Lake City Tribune, October 8, 2002.
  8. 1 2 UW wary of BYU's underused ground game, Casper Star-Tribune, October 15, 2004.
  9. ↑ Cougars pass on Brown, The Salt Lake City Tribune, October 10, 2004.
  10. ↑ Brown credits linemen for his rushing success, Deseret News, November 7, 2004.
  11. ↑ Brown not caught up in numbers, The Salt Lake City Tribune, October 28, 2006.
  12. ↑ Unga will pass Brown in rushing, Deseret News, November 19, 2009.
  13. ↑ BYU Career Rushing Leaders Archived September 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Curtis Brown: Game Logs, National Football League, retrieved August 27, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.