Over the next 8 days, Gator Country will preview the players that make up the 2013 Florida Gators football team as we inch closer and closer to the season.
Each day we will count down using the player whose jersey number corresponds with how many days there are left until Florida kicks off against Toledo in The Swamp on August 31.
Today, we take a look at redshirt senior cornerback Jeremy Brown
History
Jeremy Brown was apart of the 2008 recruiting class. That’s right, 2008. He was in a class with Janoris Jenkins, Caleb Sturgis, Will Hill, Jeff Demps and Lerentee McCray.
When Brown enrolled on campus, there were debates about who would have the better career and be a better player between him and Jenkins. Injuries derailed Brown’s career and he has never become the player that he could have been because of them.
Brown was sidelined in 2008 and 2009 due to back injuries. In 2010, he appeared in 11 games including 10 starts. Brown missed the last two games of that season with a hamstring injury but returned to start against Penn State in the Outback Bowl. In 2011, a knee injury sidelined suffered in August sidelined Brown for the duration of the season. Brown played sparingly last season while appearing in 11 games. He was granted an extra year of eligibility due to missing three full seasons with various injuries.
While his body may have failed him on the field, Brown did not waste his time at Florida. Brown graduated this past summer with a triple major in criminology and law, sociology and psychology and was accepted into graduate school where he will pursue a master’s degree in sports management.
This is a great example of a kid taking advantage of the system and not letting the system take advantage of him.
Player Evaluation
Strengths
Coming out of high school, Brown would stick to receivers like glue, had speed, fluid hips and could mirror receivers effortlessly. He appeared to be the total package and was competing with Janoris Jenkins for a starting position.
Now, after a laundry list of injuries and chronic back problems, Brown may never return to the form that he showed as a high school senior. He is a very good special teams player and can fill in at cornerback when needed.
Weaknesses
Injuries have made Brown a shell of the player he could have been. Brown arrived at Florida and looked like the kind of player who would only call Gainesville home for a few short years before the NFL would call him up to the big leagues.
Brown doesn’t have the same range, speed or quickness as he once did and is no longer one of the elite cornerbacks on the roster.
What to Expect
If he can stay healthy, Brown will contribute on special teams and fill in at cornerback in nickel and dime situations.
But don’t feel bad for Brown; he wouldn’t change a thing if he could. Brown told Gator Country during Florida’s Media Day that the adversity he has gone through has made him a better person and a better father to his son. He’s not leaving Florida empty handed; he has three degrees from the best university in the state and will continue working on a fourth.
Brown may never make millions in the NFL but he will have a very successful life after football. He should take pride in his academic accomplishments and know that he will be able to give his son a better life for all of his hard work in the classroom.