50ish Names in 50 Days: Robert Brown

Team success is often the result of strong leadership tandems. Michael Jordan didn’t win championships until Scottie Pippen hit his stride. It’s no coincide Wayne Gretzky’s Stanley Cup winning seasons were alongside Mark Messier. Jake Blues needed Elwood Blues and vice versa.

The option is sorta the same. An option offense is predicated on a compotent dual-threat quarterbacks’ abilities, but it’s no coincidence the most successful option teams have boasted equally talented running backs. Take Tom Osborne’s mid-1990s Nebraska teams that paired Tommy Frazier and Lawrence Phillips.

Jaybo Shaw scored the lion’s share of touchdowns running Georgia Southern’s option, but Robert Brown’s presence elevates the Eagles from good to great. With the well-oiled and playoff-tested backfield, Jeff Monken is in position to do what his GSU predecessor and mentor Paul Johnson was last to do in 2000: bring a national championship to Statesboro.

Brown meshed into Monken’s offense immediately. The Georgia prep standout scored a touchdown and went for 122 yards immediately and remained a steady contributor throughout the season. His coup de grace was a 178-yard, one score performance against a top 10 William & Mary defense in the NCAA Playoffs. He ended the campaign at 999 yards despite missing two games with injury and scored five touchdowns. His contribution to the Eagles’ 10 wins went beyond his statistical output, as Brown paved the way for Shaw at fullback.

If Browns looks like he runs with purpose, it’s because he does. Donald Heath of The Savannah Morning News wrote a moving feature on Brown playing with the memory of his late mother driving him.

Zeke Rozier’s recent return to the GSU roster should mean more opportunities for Brown at halfback, which should result in loftier numbers in season two.