C. J. Brown (American football)
Encyclopedia
Clark "C. J." Brown, Jr. is an American college football player. He is currently the starting quarterback
for the University of Maryland
. In 2011, he broke the school's 61-year old single-game rushing
record for a quarterback with 162 yards against No. 8 Clemson
.
to Clark and Kimberley Brown, Sr., the eldest of their three children. His father attended Michigan State University
, where he played as a quarterback
on the football team
. The family later relocated to Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
, and Brown attended Seneca Valley Senior High School.
At Seneca Valley, Brown earned three letters on both the basketball and football teams. He said that basketball was his preferred sport, but felt that he had a brighter future on the gridiron. As a junior, he averaged 12.0 point
s per game in basketball, and according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was athletic enough to execute a 360-degree dunk
. Brown served two seasons as the football team captain, and ran Seneca Valley's spread offense. Brown set the school records with 3,845 passing
yards and 26 touchdown
s over the course of his interscholastic career, and also set the school single-season for passing yards in his senior season.
As a freshman, he played quarterback for the first time, and showed early promise before suffering a broken collarbone. As a sophomore in 2006, Brown rush
ed for 586 yards and five touchdowns. He was named an honorable mention All-Northern Six Conference player. As a junior in 2007, he passed for 1,567 yards and 11 ;touchdowns, and was the team's second leading rusher with 443 yards and five touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named him to its "Fab 22". As a senior in 2008, he passed for 2,154 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 680 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette again selected him for its "Fab 22", and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review named him to its "Fantastic 25". Brown twice selected unanimously as a All-Northern Six Conference player.
Rivals.com
rated Brown a three-star prospect, and ranked him as the 17th-best dual-threat quarterback in the nation and 14th-best prospect in the state of Pennsylvania. Scout.com
also rated him a three-star prospect, and ranked him the 67th best quarterback prospect in his class. Brown received scholarship offers from Maryland
and Akron
. Indiana
, Michigan State, Northwestern
, Penn State
, Pittsburgh
, Virginia
, and West Virginia
also showed interest in Brown. After Brown gave a verbal commitment to attend Maryland in April 2008, the Pittsburgh and Penn State coaching staffs said they would be interested if he reopened his recruitment.
, and served a redshirt season in 2009
. In 2010
, he saw action in four plays against Morgan State
. On his first snap, he gained 12 yards on an option run, and lowered his shoulder into two opposing tacklers. He suffered a broken collarbone on the run, but remained in the game for three more plays. The injury ended his season. During his convalescence, head coach Ralph Friedgen
said, "I just told him he has to hang in there, he has to sit in the meetings and learn as much as you can. That's an area where he was coming on. I still think he's got the potential to be a very, very good quarterback. He's very mobile and he has a strong arm and [he is] a smart guy. He's just further behind because of his high school development." During the season, fellow redshirt sophomore Danny O'Brien
captured the starting position and finished with ACC Rookie of the Year honors. Friedgen was fired after the season and replaced by Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall
, who selected Gary Crowton
as offensive coordinator
and quarterbacks coach
.
During the spring, Edsall said "C.J. Brown is putting pressure on Danny [O'Brien]. C.J. Brown is playing very well. I think we're in a good situation." O'Brien entered the 2011
season as the established starter at quarterback, but the staff hoped to use Brown because of his mobility and athleticism. Brown recorded a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. Wide receiver Kevin Dorsey said, "You watched today and you watched him outrunning linebackers. Before today, he outran a safety, which seems crazy. Crazy athletic. Both [quarterbacks] are definitely going to play." Against No. 12 Georgia Tech
, O'Brien struggled, completing one pass on six attempts and throwing an interception. Brown came off the bench to relieve O'Brien, and while he also struggled passing, going 4-for-17 for 36 yards and an interception, he rushed for 124 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown off of a zone-option read. After the game, he said, "I know the passing game in and out, just like I'm supposed to ... It might not have showed today, but I knew I was making the correct reads. Maybe the balls weren't there on time, and I was a little off ... I'll get better week to week." Maryland head coach Randy Edsall
stated the starting quarterback for the following week's game against No. 8 Clemson
would be a game-time decision. Brown started against Clemson, and played the duration of the 56–45 loss. He recorded 17 completions on 35 attempts for 177 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He also rushed for a touchdown. Brown carried the ball 22 times for 162 yards, which set the single-game rushing yards record for a Maryland quarterback.
The record was previously held by Jack Scarbath
, who rushed for 132 yards against in 1950.
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...
for the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. In 2011, he broke the school's 61-year old single-game rushing
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
record for a quarterback with 162 yards against No. 8 Clemson
2011 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2011 Clemson Tigers football team represents Clemson University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers will be led by head coach Dabo Swinney in his third full year and fourth overall since taking over midway through 2008 season. They will play their home games at Memorial...
.
Early life
Brown was born in Troy, MichiganTroy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
to Clark and Kimberley Brown, Sr., the eldest of their three children. His father attended Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, where he played as a 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...
on the football team
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
. The family later relocated to Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is classified as a Second Class Township and follows the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code. The population was 28,098 as of the 2010 census....
, and Brown attended Seneca Valley Senior High School.
At Seneca Valley, Brown earned three letters on both the basketball and football teams. He said that basketball was his preferred sport, but felt that he had a brighter future on the gridiron. As a junior, he averaged 12.0 point
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
s per game in basketball, and according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was athletic enough to execute a 360-degree dunk
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
. Brown served two seasons as the football team captain, and ran Seneca Valley's spread offense. Brown set the school records with 3,845 passing
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
yards and 26 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s over the course of his interscholastic career, and also set the school single-season for passing yards in his senior season.
As a freshman, he played quarterback for the first time, and showed early promise before suffering a broken collarbone. As a sophomore in 2006, Brown rush
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
ed for 586 yards and five touchdowns. He was named an honorable mention All-Northern Six Conference player. As a junior in 2007, he passed for 1,567 yards and 11 ;touchdowns, and was the team's second leading rusher with 443 yards and five touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named him to its "Fab 22". As a senior in 2008, he passed for 2,154 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 680 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette again selected him for its "Fab 22", and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review named him to its "Fantastic 25". Brown twice selected unanimously as a All-Northern Six Conference player.
Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
rated Brown a three-star prospect, and ranked him as the 17th-best dual-threat quarterback in the nation and 14th-best prospect in the state of Pennsylvania. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
also rated him a three-star prospect, and ranked him the 67th best quarterback prospect in his class. Brown received scholarship offers from Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and Akron
Akron Zips football
The University of Akron Zips are a college football program representing the University of Akron that competes in NCAA Division I FBS Mid-American Conference football...
. Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
, Michigan State, Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
, Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
, Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, and West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
also showed interest in Brown. After Brown gave a verbal commitment to attend Maryland in April 2008, the Pittsburgh and Penn State coaching staffs said they would be interested if he reopened his recruitment.
College career
Brown enrolled at the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, and served a redshirt season in 2009
2009 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2009 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland during its 57th season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terrapins played in the Atlantic Division of the conference, and competed against all five divisional opponents, two Coastal Division opponents on a...
. In 2010
2010 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2010 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Terrapins' 58th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its sixth within the framework of the ACC Atlantic Division...
, he saw action in four plays against Morgan State
2011 Morgan State Bears football team
The 2011 Morgan State Bears football team represented Morgan State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by eleventh year head coach Donald Hill-Eley and played their home games at Hughes Stadium. They are a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference...
. On his first snap, he gained 12 yards on an option run, and lowered his shoulder into two opposing tacklers. He suffered a broken collarbone on the run, but remained in the game for three more plays. The injury ended his season. During his convalescence, head coach Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
said, "I just told him he has to hang in there, he has to sit in the meetings and learn as much as you can. That's an area where he was coming on. I still think he's got the potential to be a very, very good quarterback. He's very mobile and he has a strong arm and [he is] a smart guy. He's just further behind because of his high school development." During the season, fellow redshirt sophomore Danny O'Brien
Danny O'Brien (American football)
Daniel Matthew "Danny" O'Brien is an American football quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland.-Early years:O'Brien was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and at the age of 12, moved to Kernersville, North Carolina, where he attended East Forsyth High School. During his...
captured the starting position and finished with ACC Rookie of the Year honors. Friedgen was fired after the season and replaced by Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall
Randy Edsall
Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to...
, who selected Gary Crowton
Gary Crowton
-External links:* *...
as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and quarterbacks coach
Quarterbacks coach
A quarterbacks coach is a coach in charge of the quarterbacks in gridiron football. The quarterbacks coach typically operates under the offensive coordinator on a team's coaching staff....
.
During the spring, Edsall said "C.J. Brown is putting pressure on Danny [O'Brien]. C.J. Brown is playing very well. I think we're in a good situation." O'Brien entered the 2011
2011 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2011 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...
season as the established starter at quarterback, but the staff hoped to use Brown because of his mobility and athleticism. Brown recorded a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. Wide receiver Kevin Dorsey said, "You watched today and you watched him outrunning linebackers. Before today, he outran a safety, which seems crazy. Crazy athletic. Both [quarterbacks] are definitely going to play." Against No. 12 Georgia Tech
2011 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2011 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets are led by fourth year head coach Paul Johnson and play their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium...
, O'Brien struggled, completing one pass on six attempts and throwing an interception. Brown came off the bench to relieve O'Brien, and while he also struggled passing, going 4-for-17 for 36 yards and an interception, he rushed for 124 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown off of a zone-option read. After the game, he said, "I know the passing game in and out, just like I'm supposed to ... It might not have showed today, but I knew I was making the correct reads. Maybe the balls weren't there on time, and I was a little off ... I'll get better week to week." Maryland head coach Randy Edsall
Randy Edsall
Randy Douglas Edsall is an American college football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Maryland. Edsall was the head coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 until the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and oversaw the program's promotion from the NCAA Division I–AA level to...
stated the starting quarterback for the following week's game against No. 8 Clemson
2011 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2011 Clemson Tigers football team represents Clemson University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers will be led by head coach Dabo Swinney in his third full year and fourth overall since taking over midway through 2008 season. They will play their home games at Memorial...
would be a game-time decision. Brown started against Clemson, and played the duration of the 56–45 loss. He recorded 17 completions on 35 attempts for 177 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He also rushed for a touchdown. Brown carried the ball 22 times for 162 yards, which set the single-game rushing yards record for a Maryland quarterback.
The record was previously held by Jack Scarbath
Jack Scarbath
John Carl "Jack" Scarbath is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers...
, who rushed for 132 yards against in 1950.