Brown embraces new role

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Senior tight end Jacob Brown went through something no college football
player ever wants to.

Brown suffered an injury near the end of his junior season, and when
the season started last year he was not healthy enough to play.

He had a tough decision to make: Call it quits, or take a medical
redshirt and come back for his fifth year.

He chose the latter, and it’s paying dividends.

“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through, not being
able to help my teammates (last year),” he said. “It was hard, but well
worth it because I was able to learn the offense better.”

During his redshirt year, coach Brian Kelly asked Brown to switch
from wide receiver to tight end in order to add another dimension to
the spread offense.

Brown knew he might not get as many passes thrown his way, but
obliged because it would benefit the team.

And it has done just that. He has yet to score a touchdown this
season, but his 20 catches for 252 yards are just as significant in the
team’s success.

Central is 4-3 and 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference and hasn’t had
a winning record this late in a season since 1998 when it finished 6-5.

Brown’s mature and consistent play in the most critical of
situations has been a big part of the turnaround.

“In the spread offense, the tight end is closer to the ball,” Kelly
said. “His routes put him into a short, medium range to catch balls.
Tight ends are looked at to make first downs.”

Fifteen of Brown’s 20 catches have been for first downs, accounting
for thirteen percent of CMU’s 118 total first downs this season.

Six of those catches have been for third-down conversions and one
for a fourth-down conversion.

“He always seems to be the guy that’s open when we need it in
pressure situations,” said senior quarterback Kent Smith.

Brown had seven catches in the team’s 38-37 victory at Miami Sept.
10. Five of those catches resulted in first downs, which were
instrumental in the team’s comeback win.

He also played a key role in the team’s comeback win at Army Oct. 8.
It put together a 14-play, 76-yard game-winning drive in the fourth
quarter. Brown’s five-yard catch on third-and-four preserved the drive,
and CMU ultimately won the game.

Brown has earned the nickname “First Down Brown” for his ability to
gain first downs.

“I’ll make catches and some of the (offensive) linemen will yell
out, ‘First Down Brown,’” Brown said. “They don’t razz me about it too
much, and I don’t let it bother me too much.”

Kelly is grateful for Brown’s success thus far, but was quick not to
hold him in a different light.

“All our receivers have seen incredible improvement this season,” he
said. “The only difference between them and Brown is that we won’t get
(Brown) back next year, which is unfortunate.”