Cornell Brown

Cornell Desmond Brown (born March 15, 1975) is the outside linebackers and assistant defensive line coach for Virginia Tech, and a former American football linebacker who played for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League from 1997-2004. His brother, Ruben Brown was a Pro Bowl offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears.^[1]

Early Years/College

Born in New Jersey, Brown spent most of his life in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. Brown played college football at Virginia Tech, earning first-team All-America honors as a defensive end in 1995 and 1996, and was drafted out of Blacksburg by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL Draft.^[2] He played high school football for E.C. Glass in Lynchburg, Virginia, and led the Hilltoppers to a state championship in his senior year in the 1992–1993 season.

NFL Career

With the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL, Brown had success as a backup outside linebacker. He earned a Super Bowl ring when Baltimore defeated the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV. Brown was hit with a drug charge in 2001 however, and was cut, although the charge was eventually dropped. After going back to Virginia Tech for a year, Brown was picked up by the Oakland Raiders. Cut again, he was resigned by the Ravens, whom he finished his playing days with after the 2004 NFL season.

Coaching

Brown began his coaching career as an intern with the NFL Europe Cologne Centurions in 2005, then spent 2006 and 2007 as defensive line coach for the Frankfurt Galaxy in the spring and a graduate assistant on Frank Beamer's Virginia Tech staff in the fall, being inducted into the Tech Hall of Fame in 2007. Brown joined the Calgary staff in 2008.^[3]

In 2011 Brown was hired by Virginia Tech as an assistant coach.^[4]

References