Ricky Brown
Encyclopedia
Ricky Brown is an American football
linebacker
for the Oakland Raiders
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football
at Boston College
.
He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
.
for Cincinnati Elder High School
, where he played safety. Brown also ran track
. Brown went on to win the 100m, 200m and 400m Greater Catholic League track titles in 2002.
at Boston College
, where he played Linebacker. During his freshman year, 2002, Brown was a member of The Sporting News
Big East All-Rookie Team. In 2005, Brown was a member of the ACC All-Academic Team. He was the winner of the 2005 Scanlan Award
, an award given by the Boston College Varsity Club Award to the senior football player outstanding in scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.
during training camp and made it to the Raiders' practice squad. He was put on the active roster for the Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers
when the Oakland Raiders
waived J. P. Foschi to make room for Brown. Brown went on to play in the remaining 13 games of the 2006 season.
In 2007, Brown appeared in all 16 games, making his first career start against the Jacksonville Jaguars
in Week 16.
Brown was a restricted exclusive rights free agent
in 2008, re-signing with the Raiders in March. Brown won the starting SAM linebacker position in training camp and played in 7 games before a groin injury sidelined him before the week 9 match-up against the Atlanta Falcons
. The groin injury ended up being a misdiagnosed sports hernia, or athletic pubalgia that eventually was surgically repaired after Brown was placed on Injured Reserve before the week 17 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
.
In 2009, Brown was a restricted free agent
in 2009, and received a 2nd Round Tender from Oakland in March. Brown signed the 1-year deal, and went into training camp playing both the SAM and MIKE linbacker positions. Brown and Kirk Morrison
were in competition for the MIKE linebacker position, eventually with Morrison playing MIKE and Brown playing SAM on 1st and 2nd downs, and Brown moving to MIKE on 3rd down, nickel situations. During the Raiders' week 5 match-up versus the New York Giants
, Brown suffered an ankle injury that would eventually end his season. Brown attempted to rehab the injury, but was placed on Injured Reserve during week 11. Brown had surgery 2 weeks later on the ankle.
In 2010, Brown was a restricted free agent
in 2010, and received a 2nd Round Tender from Oakland in March. Brown signed the 1-year deal, and went into training camp as a back-up at MIKE linebacker behind 1st-round pick Rolando McClain
. Brown went on to play in 14 games, including 1 start.
In 2011, Brown received a 2nd Round Tender from Oakland in March, but the tender rendered invalid when a new collective bargaining agreement was reached on July 25th, 2011, bringing unrestricted free agency back to 4 accrued seasons.
. The terms of the contract have not yet been disclosed. He was released on September 2.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of 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...
. He was signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2006. 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...
at Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
.
He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Early years
Brown played footballAmerican 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...
for Cincinnati Elder High School
Elder High School
Elder High School is a parochial all-male, college-preparatory high school in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The high school has been in existence for over 85 years and is a parochial high school within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
, where he played safety. Brown also ran track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. Brown went on to win the 100m, 200m and 400m Greater Catholic League track titles in 2002.
College career
Brown played college footballCollege 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...
at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, where he played Linebacker. During his freshman year, 2002, Brown was a member of The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
Big East All-Rookie Team. In 2005, Brown was a member of the ACC All-Academic Team. He was the winner of the 2005 Scanlan Award
Scanlan Award
The Thomas F. Scanlan Memorial Trophy is an award given by the Boston College Varsity Club to the senior football player outstanding in scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.- Winners :*1947: Vic Palladino, guard*1948: Tom Brennan, running back...
, an award given by the Boston College Varsity Club Award to the senior football player outstanding in scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash 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... |
10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | 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... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-2 * | 230 * | 4.48 * | X | X | 3.96 * | 6.99 * | 32" * | 9'0" * | X | X | |||||||||
| * represents Boston College Pro Day 3/15/06 | |||||||||||||||||||
Oakland Raiders
An undrafted free agent in 2006, Brown made a good impression with the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during training camp and made it to the Raiders' practice squad. He was put on the active roster for the Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
when the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
waived J. P. Foschi to make room for Brown. Brown went on to play in the remaining 13 games of the 2006 season.
In 2007, Brown appeared in all 16 games, making his first career start against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 16.
Brown was a restricted exclusive rights 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....
in 2008, re-signing with the Raiders in March. Brown won the starting SAM linebacker position in training camp and played in 7 games before a groin injury sidelined him before the week 9 match-up against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The groin injury ended up being a misdiagnosed sports hernia, or athletic pubalgia that eventually was surgically repaired after Brown was placed on Injured Reserve before the week 17 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
In 2009, Brown was a restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
in 2009, and received a 2nd Round Tender from Oakland in March. Brown signed the 1-year deal, and went into training camp playing both the SAM and MIKE linbacker positions. Brown and Kirk Morrison
Kirk Morrison
Kirk David Morrison is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
were in competition for the MIKE linebacker position, eventually with Morrison playing MIKE and Brown playing SAM on 1st and 2nd downs, and Brown moving to MIKE on 3rd down, nickel situations. During the Raiders' week 5 match-up versus the New York Giants
New 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 suffered an ankle injury that would eventually end his season. Brown attempted to rehab the injury, but was placed on Injured Reserve during week 11. Brown had surgery 2 weeks later on the ankle.
In 2010, Brown was a restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
in 2010, and received a 2nd Round Tender from Oakland in March. Brown signed the 1-year deal, and went into training camp as a back-up at MIKE linebacker behind 1st-round pick Rolando McClain
Rolando McClain
-Oakland Raiders:McClain signed his contract with the Raiders on July 28, 2010, in time to make the first day of training camp. The contract is estimated to be for $40 million over 5 years....
. Brown went on to play in 14 games, including 1 start.
In 2011, Brown received a 2nd Round Tender from Oakland in March, but the tender rendered invalid when a new collective bargaining agreement was reached on July 25th, 2011, bringing unrestricted free agency back to 4 accrued seasons.
New England Patriots
On August 20, 2011 signed a contract with the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. The terms of the contract have not yet been disclosed. He was released on September 2.