James Brown (American football)
Encyclopedia
James Brown is a former American football
quarterback
. He was the starting
quarterback of the Texas
Longhorns
from 1994 to 1997. At the time, he was only the second black
quarterback to guide Texas through an entire season (after Donnie Little in 1978), and is credited for "opening doors" for future black quarterbacks at Texas, such as Vince Young
.
, native and West Brook Senior High School
graduate came to UT as the state's top quarterback prospect, and, after redshirting
in 1993, he went on to turn in a record-setting career. Brown finished with 30 Longhorn records, including passing yards (7,638), total offense (8,049) and touchdown
passes (53). A team captain in 1997, Brown became the first Longhorn quarterback in 20 years to earn first-team All-Southwest Conference (SWC) honors (Marty Akins, 1975) en route to leading Texas to the final SWC Championship, a 10-2-1 record, and a berth in the Sugar bowl in 1995. He was also named SWC Offensive Player of the Year that season. In 1996, Brown guided Texas through a late season surge that was capped off by a stunning upset of defending National Champion Nebraska
in the inaugural Big 12
championship game.
decided to gamble for the first down, calling "roll left", a staple of the team's goal-line offense. The play called for Brown to fake to running back Priest Holmes
and roll to his left. Before the play, Mackovic told him on the sidelines "come to run", intending for Brown to run for the first down, but the played included an option to pass if it was there. Brown took the snap, but as he rolled out, he saw his tight end Derek Lewis behind the Cornhuskers defense. He stopped and threw the ball to the wide-open Lewis, who ran down the sidelines for a 61-yard gain. On the next play, Holmes ran for the touchdown that essentially clinched the game and the Big 12 title for the Longhorns.
. As a professional, Brown had a tryout in the Canadian Football League
and spent four seasons at various levels in the Arena Football League leading the Texas Terminators in the IPFL to the league championship game in 1999. He played one season for the NFL Europe
's Scottish Claymores
in 2002. In 2003, he signed with the Frankfurt Galaxy
of the NFL Europe
. Currently serving as an Assistant Coach - Runningbacks, for Lamar University
in Beaumont, Tx.
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...
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...
. He was the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback of the Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
from 1994 to 1997. At the time, he was only the second black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
quarterback to guide Texas through an entire season (after Donnie Little in 1978), and is credited for "opening doors" for future black quarterbacks at Texas, such as Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
.
Longhorns career
The Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, native and West Brook Senior High School
West Brook Senior High School
West Brook Senior High School is the largest high school in the city of Beaumont, Texas. West Brook is located at 8750 Phelan Boulevard. It is operated by the Beaumont Independent School District.The school's official mascot is the Bruin Bear...
graduate came to UT as the state's top quarterback prospect, and, after redshirting
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...
in 1993, he went on to turn in a record-setting career. Brown finished with 30 Longhorn records, including passing yards (7,638), total offense (8,049) and 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:...
passes (53). A team captain in 1997, Brown became the first Longhorn quarterback in 20 years to earn first-team All-Southwest Conference (SWC) honors (Marty Akins, 1975) en route to leading Texas to the final SWC Championship, a 10-2-1 record, and a berth in the Sugar bowl in 1995. He was also named SWC Offensive Player of the Year that season. In 1996, Brown guided Texas through a late season surge that was capped off by a stunning upset of defending National Champion Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
in the inaugural Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
championship game.
Roll Left
Perhaps the defining moment of his Texas career came in the aforementioned Big 12 title game. The Longhorns were clinging to a 30-27 lead late in the fourth quarter, but faced fourth-and-inches at their own 28-yard line. Texas coach John MackovicJohn Mackovic
John Mackovic is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of United States national American football team, which was formed to compete in the American Football World Cup...
decided to gamble for the first down, calling "roll left", a staple of the team's goal-line offense. The play called for Brown to fake to running back Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
and roll to his left. Before the play, Mackovic told him on the sidelines "come to run", intending for Brown to run for the first down, but the played included an option to pass if it was there. Brown took the snap, but as he rolled out, he saw his tight end Derek Lewis behind the Cornhuskers defense. He stopped and threw the ball to the wide-open Lewis, who ran down the sidelines for a 61-yard gain. On the next play, Holmes ran for the touchdown that essentially clinched the game and the Big 12 title for the Longhorns.
After college
Considered too small at , Brown has never played in the National Football LeagueNational 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...
. As a professional, Brown had a tryout in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and spent four seasons at various levels in the Arena Football League leading the Texas Terminators in the IPFL to the league championship game in 1999. He played one season for the NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
's Scottish Claymores
Scottish Claymores
The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
in 2002. In 2003, he signed with the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
of the NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. Currently serving as an Assistant Coach - Runningbacks, for Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
in Beaumont, Tx.