| Kansas State Wildcats — No. 8 | |
| Running back | Sophomore |
| Major: Undecided | |
| Date of birth: May 14, 1991 | |
| Place of birth: Wichita, Kansas | |
| Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | Weight: 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) |
| Career history | |
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| High school: Wichita High School East Wichita, Kansas |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at ESPN.com | |
Bryce Lee Brown (born May 14, 1991) is an American football running back. He attended the University of Tennessee his freshman year, but decided to leave the football program in March 2010.[1] However, Volunteers coach Derek Dooley decided not to release Brown from his scholarship, which means Brown will have to pay his own way at Kansas State University in 2010 as he sits out due to NCAA transfer rules.[2]
While playing at Wichita High School East, he won the 2008 Hall Trophy for the best high school player in the United States and was ranked atop of the Rivals.com ranking of his class, the first running back to do so since Adrian Peterson in 2004.[3] In 2008, he was also dubbed the best high school running back prospect of the last five years.[4] In 2008, Rivals.com′s Barry Every compared Brown to Miami Dolphins player Ronnie Brown.[3]
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Brown has been clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.32 seconds.[5] A First Team All-Wichita selection as a freshman, he rushed for 1,472 yards and 12 TDs. He followed that up with an even more impressive sophomore campaign, rushing for 2,039 yards and 26 TDs. Brown was a consensus First Team All-State selection as well as EA Sports National Sophomore of the Year. He amassed more than 50 scholarship offers. He wore #24 in his Freshman and Sophomore seasons.
During his junior year, Brown rushed for 1,825 yards on 207 carries (8.8 avg) and 23 touchdowns, earning him All-City and All-State honors. He wore #5 in his Junior year. He was also recognized as a member of the Kansas “Fab 11” and was the lone junior that was named a USA Today Prep All-American.[6] For his senior season, he wore #11 in honor of his brother, Arthur Brown.[7] Tom Lemming of CSTV considered Brown to be better than all of the 2008 running back crop (which includes Darrell Scott and Jermie Calhoun).[8] Brown is believed to be the top running back prospect from Kansas since Barry Sanders.[9]
Arthur Brown committed to the University of Miami in December 2007, which led to rumors whether Bryce may complete his high school in Coral Gables, Florida, since their mother once told USA Today that Bryce “is wanting to go to high school wherever Arthur chooses to go to college.”[10] Bryce Brown, however, eventually decided to remain in Wichita for his senior season.[11]
In October 2008, Brown was selected to the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[12] Brown finished the 2008 season with a Wichita City League regular-season record 1,873 yards rushing, giving him 7,209 rushing yards overall, also a City League record.[13] He was named to the USA Today All-USA First Team for the second successive time.[14]
His workouts, recruiting and news media requests are handled by Brian Butler, a former felon who identifies himself as Brown's trainer and handler.[15][16] Butler sold updates of Brown's recruitment via website for $9.99 a month or $59 a year and sought contributions that he says are used to take players on a tour of colleges each summer.[15] At one point, Butler announced Brown was considering entering the Canadian Football League (CFL), but Brown backed down from that claim.[16] As a result of Butler's handling, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s amateurism certification staff launched an investigation to determine whether anything has been done anything to jeopardize Brown's amateur status.[17]. The NCAA's investigation eventually cleared Brown to play before the start of his freshman season. [18]
On February 22, 2008, Brown chose to follow his brother and orally committed to the University of Miami.[19] However, Brown did not sign a letter of intent on National Signing Day 2009, but instead planned to announce his decision on March 16, naming five other "finalists" despite his oral commitment to Miami: LSU, Tennessee, Oregon, USC, and Kansas State.[16] Said ESPN.com′s Tom Luginbill: “If I was Randy Shannon and the Miami staff, I would tell the kid and Brian Butler to go jump in a lake. I got to imagine that deep down, Miami's coaches have to be thinking, ‘This is getting ridiculous.’”[20] Prior to his announcement, Brown paid official visits to Oregon and Clemson,[21] and finally took an impromptu visit to Tennessee on March 13.[22]
Citing an anonymous source, the Associated Press reported the University of Miami would not reissue a national letter of intent to Brown to replace the one that expired Wednesday, February 18.[23] Brown's advisor Brian Butler told AP he was unaware those scholarship offers have an expiration date, but reiterated that Brown would not sign until March 16.[24] According to Palm Beach Post′s Jorge Milian UM coach Shannon called Brown on Tuesday, February 17, and allegedly told him the University of Miami was no longer interested in his services.[25] However, Brown later told Wichita Eagle that Shannon still wanted him to be a Hurricane.[26] Due to NCAA rules, Shannon was not allowed to comment.
On March 16, 2009, Brown announced at a press conference at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita, Kansas, that he will attend the University of Tennessee. "I feel that's the school that's gonna prepare me the best to go to the next level," Brown said at the press conference.[27]
Entering college with an enormous amount of hype, Brown was expected to see considerable playing time during his true freshman year and spent the 2009 season in the top two running back rotation.[28] His amateur status was under investigation by the NCAA prior to the season,[29] but Brown was cleared only a few days later.[30]
Brown spent the season as a backup to senior Montario Hardesty. Brown finished the season with 460 yards rushing, second on the team behind Hardesty. He also had three rushing touchdowns.
On the first day of Tennessee's 2010 spring practice, Brown announced his decision to leave the program. Volunteers' coach Derek Dooley said that Brown will remain enrolled at Tennessee for the rest of the spring semester but did not indicate if he would then transfer.[1] His brother Arthur recently transferred from the University of Miami to Kansas State University and on August 15, 2010, Brown decided to join his brother at Kansas State.[31]
Brown, along with his brother Arthur, were named in a report from Yahoo! Sports alleging that student-athletes, coaches and administrators were aware and received impermissible benefits from an ex-booster and convicted felon Nevin Shapiro.[32] "Kansas State University has been in communication with the NCAA," the university said in a release. "Regarding Arthur Brown and Bryce Brown, the NCAA staff has informed the institution that it has no concerns about their eligibility to compete at K-State.[33]
On September 29, 2011 it was reported that Brown left the Kansas State Wildcats football team "at least temporarily." [34] As of December 12, 2011 he had not returned to the team and is reportedly planning to enter the 2012 NFL Draft. [35] "
Bryce is the son of Arthur Sr. and Lelonnie Brown. His uncle Lawrence Pete is a former Detroit Lions player.[36]
His older brother Arthur is a former five-star linebacker recruit and currently attends Kansas State University. According to Jeremy Crabtree of Rivals.com, the Browns were the first brothers ever to be both ranked five-star recruits.[10]
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