Son of former NFL OT gets Clemson offer

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed May 02 10:42:54 GMT-04:00 2012

Offensive Tackle

6-9, 375

Duluth, GA

View Full Profile continues to pick up offers, getting an offer from Clemson University and recruiter Tony Elliott on Monday, then picking up five more official offers on Tuesday.

The Duluth (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge offensive tackle told TigerNet that he was pleased and surprised to pick up the offer from the Tigers, and even more surprised when Wisconsin, Miami (Fla.), East Carolina, South Florida and Missouri offered on Tuesday.

“I got those five offers today, and things have really been picking up this spring,” Brown said. “That makes 15 offers now, and I know my coaches are talking to other schools.”

Brown is a 6-9, 350-pounder who said his size is both a mental and a physical advantage.

“I can never say that football is going to be easy because of how big I am,” he said. “There are plenty of big people out there. It is all about how hard you work and how you can control your weight that makes you a better player. I don’t think my size makes the game easy for me – it is just more of an advantage mentally and physically.”

Brown is the son of former NFL offensive tackle Orlando Brown, who played collegiately at South Carolina St. and in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. The senior Brown, who was nicknamed “Zeus” because of his size, started 119 games in his NFL career, but might be best known for an incident in 1999.

On Dec. 19, 1999, with Brown playing for the Browns in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, referee Jeff Triplette tossed his flag, weighted with BBs, it struck Brown in the right eye, missing his helmet’s face guard. Brown walked off the field, but furious, he returned and shoved Triplette to the turf. It was later determined that the injury caused him partial blindness, something he later sued the NFL over. He passed away from complications with diabetes last September.

“I get a lot of inspiration from my dad,” he said. “I have learned a lot just from watching some of his old film and working out with some of his former teammates. I know a whole lot about football, maybe more than most kids on my level.”

The family, which had been living in Hyattsville, Maryland, recently relocated to Duluth and the Tigers once again picked up their recruitment.

“They have actually been recruiting me since my freshman year,” he said. “I know they had heard about me because of my dad, and then I started hearing from them. I know Clemson is a great program, and they run an up-tempo offense with the no-huddle. But what I like best about that offense is that even though they are a spread team, they like to keep it balanced. They want to throw the ball 50 percent and run the ball 50 percent. I also know they have a lot of players in the NFL and a lot of up and coming players.”

Brown said he wants to begin the process of taking both official and unofficial visits, including one to Clemson in early June.

“I am definitely going to take my visits,” he said. “I know Clemson has a camp coming up, and I want to go to it and show the coaches how I can play. They are very close to home, so it will be very convenient for me to get up there.”

He said he will wait to make a decision until sometime during his senior season.