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Alex Brown (football player)
Encyclopedia
Alex James Brown is an American football
player who was a defensive end
in the National Football League
(NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football
for the University of Florida
, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears
in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
. In addition to the Bears, Brown also played for the New Orleans Saints
of the NFL. He is currently a free agent
.
in 1979. He attended Hamilton County High School in Jasper, and played high school football
for the Hamilton County Trojans. As the Trojans' senior quarterback in 1996, Brown threw for 863 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 767 yards and eighteen touchdowns; as a starting linebacker, he also compiled 117 total tackles (with seven tackles for loss), five blocked passes, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and two blocked field goals. He was honored as a Florida Class 3A all-state selection and a National Recruiting Adviser and SuperPrep high school All-American. Brown was also a standout basketball player and track and field athlete, and was the state champion discus thrower in 1996.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1998 to 2001
. The Gators coaching staff decided to red-shirt
him as a true freshman in 1997. He saw action at outside linebacker in 1998, recording ten tackles with two sacks and three tackles for a loss as the backup to All-American starter Jevon Kearse
.
As a sophomore starter in 1999, Brown recorded fifty-six tackles with 7.5 sacks and twelve tackles for a loss. Arguably, he played his best college game on September 18, 1999, when he sacked quarterback
Tee Martin
five times in the Gators' 23–21 upset of the second-ranked Tennessee Volunteers
. He was honored as first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection and first-team All-American
by the Walter Camp Foundation and Football News, and was one of the twelve semi-finalists for the Lombardi Award
.
During the Gators' 2000
SEC championship season, Brown was a team captain
and started every game at right defensive end, recording fifty tackles with 10.5 sacks, fourteen tackles for a loss and four blocked passes, while forcing a fumble and blocking three kicks. Brown was a first-team All-SEC selection, a second-team All-American
, and was once again one of the twelve semi-finalists for the Lombardi Award.
As a senior in 2001
, Brown recorded forty-five tackles and a career-best thirteen sacks. He was a first-team All-SEC selection and a consensus All-American
, being named first-team by virtually all selectors. He was also the 2001 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, one of the four finalists for the Lombardi Award, and one of five finalists of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
.
During his four-year college career, Brown totaled 161 tackles with forty-seven tackles for a loss (sixth-best career total in Gators history), and set the Gators' current career record of thirty-three quarterback sacks. He will be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in Spring 2012.
(* represents NFL Combine
)
, Brown recorded a career-high 4 sacks to go along with eight tackles, including six solos stops. He also forced a fumble and batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage. For his efforts Brown was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Week by Pro Football Weekly
.
In 2005 Brown was a First-alternate for the Pro Bowl after recording 75 tackles (nine for a loss) and 6 sacks, eight broken up passes and three forced fumbles. He was selected for Sports Illustrated
All-Pro Team. He was named NFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week at Tampa Bay the week of November 27, 2005. In 2006 he was Selected as a Second-alternate for the Pro Bowl after recording a career-high 7 sacks and 2 interceptions while making 71 tackles (three for losses), three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes broken up PBU while starting all 16 games at RDE.
In 2007 Brown tied for the team lead with 5 PBUs, tied for second with 5 TFLs and 2 fumble recoveries and tied for third with 2 forced fumbles, after playing in all 16 games (two starts) for the fifth straight year, extending his consecutive games played streak to a team-high 95 contests He ranked second on the defensive line with 58 tackles and added 5 QB hits, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles and 1 blocked kick.
So far in his NFL career, Brown has played 96 games and has 31.5 career sacks. He has also picked off five passes (two in 2006) and deflected 33 passes, an unusually high number for a defensive end. On December 22, 2008 Brown also deflected a kick by Mason Crosby
to set up the game-winning field goal
for the Chicago Bears in a win 20-17 over the Green Bay Packers
.
In the 2nd game of the season when the Bears upset the defending Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14, Alex Brown recorded 2 sacks on Ben Roethlisberger. However, Brown was later carted off the field with 4 minutes left in the game with a sprained ankle.
The Bears released Brown on April 1, 2010, after failing to trade him to another team.
signed Brown to a two-year contract. He was released on August 30, 2011, after one season with the Saints.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. In addition to the Bears, Brown also played for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the NFL. He is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Early years
Brown was born in Jasper, FloridaJasper, Florida
Jasper is a city in Hamilton County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,780 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,848 . It is the county seat of Hamilton County. The United Methodist Church in Jasper, Florida is on the National Register...
in 1979. He attended Hamilton County High School in Jasper, and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for the Hamilton County Trojans. As the Trojans' senior quarterback in 1996, Brown threw for 863 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 767 yards and eighteen touchdowns; as a starting linebacker, he also compiled 117 total tackles (with seven tackles for loss), five blocked passes, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and two blocked field goals. He was honored as a Florida Class 3A all-state selection and a National Recruiting Adviser and SuperPrep high school All-American. Brown was also a standout basketball player and track and field athlete, and was the state champion discus thrower in 1996.
College career
Brown received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1998 to 2001
2001 Florida Gators football team
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season...
. The Gators coaching staff decided to red-shirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
him as a true freshman in 1997. He saw action at outside linebacker in 1998, recording ten tackles with two sacks and three tackles for a loss as the backup to All-American starter Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse , nicknamed "The Freak," is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for eleven seasons during the late 1990s and 2000s...
.
As a sophomore starter in 1999, Brown recorded fifty-six tackles with 7.5 sacks and twelve tackles for a loss. Arguably, he played his best college game on September 18, 1999, when he sacked quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Tee Martin
Tee Martin
Tamaurice Nigel "Tee" Martin is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and Canadian Football League...
five times in the Gators' 23–21 upset of the second-ranked Tennessee Volunteers
1999 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1999 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Volunteers offense scored 369 points while the defense allowed 194 points. Phillip Fulmer was the head coach and led the club to an appearance in the Fiesta...
. He was honored as first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection and first-team All-American
1999 College Football All-America Team
The 1999 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly Football News, and CNNSI.com.The College...
by the Walter Camp Foundation and Football News, and was one of the twelve semi-finalists for the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
.
During the Gators' 2000
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
SEC championship season, Brown was a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and started every game at right defensive end, recording fifty tackles with 10.5 sacks, fourteen tackles for a loss and four blocked passes, while forcing a fumble and blocking three kicks. Brown was a first-team All-SEC selection, a second-team All-American
2000 College Football All-America Team
The 2000 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, Football News, Sports Illustrated and...
, and was once again one of the twelve semi-finalists for the Lombardi Award.
As a senior in 2001
2001 Florida Gators football team
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season...
, Brown recorded forty-five tackles and a career-best thirteen sacks. He was a first-team All-SEC selection and a consensus All-American
2001 College Football All-America Team
The 2001 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, Football News and Sports IllustratedThe...
, being named first-team by virtually all selectors. He was also the 2001 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, one of the four finalists for the Lombardi Award, and one of five finalists of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
.
During his four-year college career, Brown totaled 161 tackles with forty-seven tackles for a loss (sixth-best career total in Gators history), and set the Gators' current career record of thirty-three quarterback sacks. He will be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in Spring 2012.
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | |
| 40 yd 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
|---|---|
| 4.65s* | X lb |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
Chicago Bears
Brown became a starter in his rookie season, starting 9 of the last 10 at RDE as a rookie and logging 2.5 sacks in nine starts at defensive end. He also totaled 49 tackles (32 solos) and 3 passes broken up while contributing on special teams coverage. In 2003 he first season as a full-time starter, led Bears with 5.5 sacks with a career-high 79 tackles, 61 solos, and 6 tackles for losses while forcing 2 fumbles and recovering one fumble. Started at RDE for all 16 games, leading Chicago with 6 sacks and 73 tackles while pacing the unit with 11 tackles for a loss and 4 passes broken up . In a week nine contest, on November 7, 2004, versus the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Brown recorded a career-high 4 sacks to go along with eight tackles, including six solos stops. He also forced a fumble and batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage. For his efforts Brown was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Week by Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
.
In 2005 Brown was a First-alternate for the Pro Bowl after recording 75 tackles (nine for a loss) and 6 sacks, eight broken up passes and three forced fumbles. He was selected for Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
All-Pro Team. He was named NFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week at Tampa Bay the week of November 27, 2005. In 2006 he was Selected as a Second-alternate for the Pro Bowl after recording a career-high 7 sacks and 2 interceptions while making 71 tackles (three for losses), three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes broken up PBU while starting all 16 games at RDE.
In 2007 Brown tied for the team lead with 5 PBUs, tied for second with 5 TFLs and 2 fumble recoveries and tied for third with 2 forced fumbles, after playing in all 16 games (two starts) for the fifth straight year, extending his consecutive games played streak to a team-high 95 contests He ranked second on the defensive line with 58 tackles and added 5 QB hits, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles and 1 blocked kick.
So far in his NFL career, Brown has played 96 games and has 31.5 career sacks. He has also picked off five passes (two in 2006) and deflected 33 passes, an unusually high number for a defensive end. On December 22, 2008 Brown also deflected a kick by Mason Crosby
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
to set up the game-winning field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
for the Chicago Bears in a win 20-17 over the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
In the 2nd game of the season when the Bears upset the defending Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14, Alex Brown recorded 2 sacks on Ben Roethlisberger. However, Brown was later carted off the field with 4 minutes left in the game with a sprained ankle.
The Bears released Brown on April 1, 2010, after failing to trade him to another team.
New Orleans Saints
On April 7, 2010, the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
signed Brown to a two-year contract. He was released on August 30, 2011, after one season with the Saints.
See also
- 1999 College Football All-America Team1999 College Football All-America TeamThe 1999 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly Football News, and CNNSI.com.The College...
- 2001 College Football All-America Team2001 College Football All-America TeamThe 2001 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, Football News and Sports IllustratedThe...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- List of Chicago Bears players
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of New Orleans Saints players
- List of Phi Beta Sigma members