Florida CB Jeremy Brown Leaving Lasting Impression Off The Field
By Ryan Wooden
September 22, 2012; Gainesville FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Jalen Whitlow (13) runs with the ball as Florida Gators defensive back Jeremy Brown (8) defends in the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 38-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
This entire offseason, we’ve been regaled with stories of Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators and their salacious off-the-field behavior. However, one holdover from the Meyer era is leaving a different kind of impression during his time at the University of Florida.
A four-star prospect in the Class of 2008, Jeremy Brown is the only player left on Florida’s roster from the 2008 National Championship team. As the Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley writes in this column, his teammates joke with Brown about his age (he’s now 23), while Brown tells war stories about the days of Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.
When Brown arrived at Florida, he looked poised to make a significant impact on the field. Rated a 5.8 on Rivals.com’s rankings index, Brown was deemed to be a high-major prospect with real pro potential. In that regard, I suppose you could say that Brown was a bust.
However, lost in the discussion of how loosely we define college football players as student-athletes, is how profound of an effect a full-ride scholarship can have on a young man or woman who makes the decision to take advantage of it. For whatever reason, Brown’s talent on the football field didn’t translate as well to the SEC as they were anticipated, but rather than allow his shortcomings to define him, Jeremy Brown made the most of an opportunity.
On Saturday, Brown graduated with a triple major in criminology and law, sociology and psychology.
For years, Jeremy Brown battled injuries that kept him off the field at Florida, and while the injuries seemed to sap the life out of any NFL dream the Orlando-native had, it also refocused the young man. And while he had every reason to be jaded, it gave him direction and led him to where he’s at now.
“I’m blessed to go through what I’ve been through,” he told Dooley last week. “It sounds funny to say, but all of these injuries have been a blessing in disguise. I’m a better person. I’m a better father.”
His son is six years old now, and while an NFL paycheck would have allowed him to provide a comfortable life, Brown is still on the path to success. He’s been accepted to grad school at Florida, where he plans on getting his masters degree in sports management.
On the field, Jeremy Brown figures in as a role player for the 2013 Florida Gators. He’s buried beneath future NFLers Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Robinson on the depth chart, but he hopes to make his mark as a reserve cornerback and special teamer.
In 2010, Brown came back from chronic back injuries that cost him his first two seasons and cracked into the top unit when he started 10 games at cornerback opposite Janoris Jenkins. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury would cost him the final two games, and nagging injuries continued to cost him large portions of 2011 and 2012, relegating him to his current role on the team.
Now, it seems unlikely that Jeremy Brown will ever realize the NFL potential that once made him such a desirable prospect. He won’t sign that multi-million dollar NFL contract or get any lucrative endorsement deals, but he may have a future as the poster-boy of post-football success for Florida.
So often we see these young prospects take a dark turn when they’re faced with the prospects of being out of football, but Jeremy Brown has managed to turn his misfortunes into a life for himself. Time and time again, he’s taken adversity and swatted it down like an errant pass.
He’s got life covered.
I guess that makes him a true cover corner.