Jeremy Brown - Back In the Fold
Sunday, November 14, 2010 | Football
By Emily Arthur, UF Communications
Jeremy Brown was never supposed to play football. Fortunately for Boone High School, and for the University of Florida, the Orlando native decided to try out for the team. Growing up, he played baseball and got into football by chance. Although that opportunity led him down a winding road of obstacles such as injury and adversity, it has led him to where he is today.
“I wasn't going to play but one of my good friends said 'just come out, just try it,'” Brown said. “I never played football until I got to high school - never touched a football, never thought about football, didn't think I would play football. I was actually supposed to play baseball in AAU.”
That situation changed as a ninth-grader, when he put on his first football jersey and naturally took to the gridiron. In his senior year at Boone, Brown helped lead his school to the Florida Class 6A title game. During his final prep campaign, he was a first-team Class 6A all-state selection and was selected to participate in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl.
Coming to Gainesville as one of the top cornerback recruits in the country, Brown went from ecstasy to agony when he suffered back problems that would keep him off of the field for two full seasons.
“It was definitely tough, probably one of the toughest points of my life that I have experienced,” Brown admitted. “Being able to receive a scholarship to a big school like Florida, come here and have such high expectations and to just disappear for two years is tough.”
His back problems were so extensive Brown underwent multiple rhizotomies, where doctors burned off troubled back nerves to ease the pain on his L4 and L5 herniated discs. He also shared a back injury at the same time as fellow Gator Carl Moore. The pair of players formed a bond that highlighted the true meaning of teammates.
“It was really special,” Brown said about Moore facing a similar dilemma. “We grew together and kind of went through our back injuries at the same time so it was good to have somebody there with me. Seeing that Carl was going through the same things as I was and how he was overcoming them definitely motivated me to work hard.”
Along with encouraging teammates to help him through the difficult times, Brown also attributes support to his family and to prayer. The mental and physical struggles he was going through were eased by his support system at home.
“The only thing that got me through it was prayer,” he said. “I have good friends and a strong family. They kept me praying and told me that everything was going to be alright and that's what got me through it.”
After two years of not playing football, enduring several back rhizotomies and mental struggles, Brown was finally healthy at the beginning of the 2010 season. Two years of pent-up tackles, emotions and excitement were finally able to be displayed in The Swamp for the first time since being recruited to UF two years prior.
“Coach Meyer told me that I was going to be starting,” the social and behavorial sciences major said. “I was so excited and so in awe to be in this position, playing for such a prestigious football team.”
However, shortly after he had received the good news of being able to start, Brown got injured yet again. Of all places, his injury happened at the Thursday walk-through practice prior to the season opener against Miami University. With a light workout consisting of no shoulder pads, Brown jumped up to break up a pass and came back down to land on one of his teammates, hearing a loud “pop” upon descending.
“It was a bad high ankle sprain,” he said. “But, I wasn't letting anything keep me out of that first game, and with the help of our great training staff I was able to play.”
Off the football field, Brown is the proud father of his three-year-old son, Jaden, who is his biggest fan.
“He comes and cheers me on and watches me on TV,” Brown said. “He's such a special inspiration for me. Taking everything into context, that's what really made me want to slow down, grow up and put my priorities in order.”
Brown's injury experiences afforded him the opportunity to learn and grow from the hurdles he's faced. With 2010 being his first year playing for the Gators, he has encountered ups and downs and has learned how to face adversity on and off the field.
“It's hard when you have a rough few games or when you struggle,” Brown said. “But prayer is what helps. I love Jesus, he's got me through all of this adversity.”
