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Frank Edgerly knew he had something special in Donald Brown. What he didn’t realize was just how gifted the kid was. And if Brown is anything close to what he was that September night in 2004, the Colts’ first-round draft pick could prove to be a steal.
Edgerly, Brown’s high school football coach at Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic and something of a second father to Brown, said it was in the aftermath of a hurricane that he really understood what kind of player Brown, the 27th overall pick in the 2009 draft and the nation’s leading rusher at the University of Connecticut in ’08, had the potential to be.
“Everyone knew Donny was our big gun, so, of course, in weather like that, they must have had 140 guys on the line of scrimmage,” Edgerly said about the second game of Brown’s senior season.
Leading 7-0, Red Bank Catholic was coming out of its own endzone when Brown fumbled the ball inside his team’s 20-yard line. It was Brown’s reaction that demonstrated to Edgerly the player’s ability to overcome adversity – and handle criticism.
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“I probably said some pretty impolite things to him,” Edgerly said. “Matter of fact, I know I did, but where a lot of kids at that point in time will go in the other direction, you saw this kid – because of that mistake – he took over.
“Next time he touched the ball he made probably the greatest run of his high school career,” Edgerly continued. “Split everyone, muddy field, accelerated.”
Apparently, a slicing, 70-yard TD run was not enough. Brown still wasn’t done rectifying the mistake that could have cost the team the lead.
When the second half started, so did the torrential downpours, Edgerly said. The poor conditions didn’t seem to faze Brown, who ended up with huge rushing numbers (22-287-4). Going into the fourth quarter tied 21-21, Brown ran for two more touchdowns to propel Red Bank Catholic to a 35-21 victory.
“It was like him on the field and then everybody else,” Edgerly said. “And not a word came out of his mouth.”
Although this success in high school did not immediately translate to the college level, his determination played a big role in his record-breaking junior season at UConn.
Brown decided to forgo his senior season after leading the nation in rushing (367-2,083-1

and setting all-time rushing records at UConn, becoming the only Husky to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in school history.
Brown, who gained 5.7 yards per carry, ran for more than 100 yards in all but two games in ’08. He put up at least 150 yards in eight of 13 games and had three games with more than 200 yards, including a dominating performance against Buffalo in the International Bowl,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], in which he totaled 29 carries for 261 yards and a touchdown in leading UConn to a 38-20 victory. Brown was named the MVP of the game. His career numbers at UConn are nothing to sneeze at, either (698-3,800-33).
Brown attributes much of his breakout campaign to the injury he suffered as a sophomore, a high ankle sprain that hampered him for much of ’07.
“That was my first serious injury,” Brown said. “I mean, I had to sit out for about two weeks. That was the first time I’ve ever missed a sporting event in my life, and the guy who came in to spell me was doing a tremendous job. Coming back was not as easy as I thought it would be. Fighting for time and carries, it was tough. It was a real eye-opener, and I learned a lot from that.”
He calls it the toughest obstacle he has faced as a football player.
“Coming back from that ankle injury was tough, and there were some games when I was more concerned about my ankle and hurting it again.”
“He never pouted, and it just motivated him to work that much harder,” UConn head coach Randy Edsall said. “He’s a tough guy and a hard worker.”
So, after starting all 13 games last year for the Huskies, what is Brown’s mindset going into Indianapolis, where he likely will be spending more time on the sideline?
“Splitting carries,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], it’s great,” he said. “Joseph (Addai) is a great running back and a great guy, so I’m really looking forward to it and helping out in any way I can. I’m just ready to be whatever the Colts need me (to be). Whatever it is, I’ll be ready. I’m not here to make any guarantees; just to help them out in any way possible.”
Modesty aside, Brown said he is indeed familiar with Colts president Bill Polian’s reputation around the league and his penchant for drafting extremely successful first-round picks. Names like Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Anthony Gonzalez not only put Brown in some elite company but also prove a tough act for him to follow.
So where does Brown fit on this list? Jamey Crimmins, Brown’s marketing agent, can’t be quite sure, but he does know that regardless of Brown’s on-field success, he will make a serious splash for his off-field leadership.
“It seems like the only time you hear about athletes in the news today is when they’re doing something wrong,” Crimmins said.
“He’s a guy that you’re going to hear about when he does something right, which is often. He says ‘please’ and he says ‘thank you’ and he writes thank-you notes and he does the right things. He’s a stud.”
Last year, Brown and Crimmins – who has represented other NFL players such as Kerry Collins, Jake Plummer and, ironically, Ricky Williams and Ryan Leaf – founded the Player-to-Player Leadership Conference, which the two set up in order to establish, in Brown, a positive role model for young football players on the Jersey Shore.
Brown said that without the positive role models who have been so influential throughout his life, he would not be where he is today, coming into the Colts’ organization in a position to possibly challenge Addai for the starting role in Indy.
Which makes Edgerly think Brown could prove to be extremely important for the Colts as the season wears on.
“I have no inside knowledge of this, but I don’t think you’re taking a kid that high to just sit down, twiddle his thumbs, and wait,” Edgerly said. “I think they’re bringing him in to push Addai. I think they’re bringing him in so hopefully one of those two guys emerge as the lead dog down the stretch. I would be shocked if he is not playing a pivotal role this season.”
The Colts’ system seems to be the ideal fit for Brown. A well-rounded back, experts predict that he really could excel in the team’s zone-blocking scheme. Edsall agrees.
“I think Donald will be successful wherever he goes, because that’s what kind of a guy he is,” Edsall said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s running in a zone-blocking scheme or a power [backfield], he’s a guy that can do it all. He’ll get in there and work hard.”
Edsall said that aside from Brown’s passion for the game and working hard, he is very intelligent and has great overall football smarts. Further, as a kinesiology major, Brown is adept at staying healthy and keeping his body in football shape.
Edgerly noted that Brown hired a strength trainer, a speed coach and a nutritionist after his sophomore year of high school.
“This kid was professional with his body and his approach long before he was drafted,” Edgerly said. “Where a lot of rookies are coming and learning how to be a pro off the field, learning how to be a pro in the weight room, this kid’s already there. This guy never missed a start, never missed a practice (in high school), so I think only great things are going to come from him.
“The thing about it is, he’s got such a strong work ethic and such a humble and adaptable personality that he’s going to fit in and succeed wherever he’s at.”
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Tags: Dallas Clark, Edgerrin James, Jake Plumme, Kerry Collins, Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 9:14 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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