Jason W. Brown (born May 5, 1983) is a former American football center. He played college football at North Carolina and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL draft.
 Brown in April 2015 | |||||||
| No. 60 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Center | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | May 5, 1983 Henderson, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 320 lb (145 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Northern Vance (Henderson, North Carolina) | ||||||
| College: | North Carolina | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 2005 / round: 4 / pick: 124 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Early life
editBrown was born and raised in Henderson, North Carolina where he attended Northern Vance High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society. He was a member of the marching band until the football coach recruited him to play football. He was a standout not only in football but also in track and field. He holds four state championships; three in discus and one for shot put.
College career
editBrown did not miss a game during his career at North Carolina. He was named First-team All-ACC in 2004. Brown first saw action in his freshman year at right tackle against Florida State. Brown started his career at The University of North Carolina as a tackle, then guard. He was later moved to center, where he played the remaining three years of his college career.
Professional career
edit2005 NFL Draft
editAlong with Chris Spencer, Brown was considered one of the best centers available in the 2005 NFL draft. He was projected as a mid-third round pick,[1] and was eventually selected in the fourth round (124th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens.[2]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+3⁄4 in (1.90 m) |
313 lb (142 kg) |
32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) |
10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
5.40 s | 1.85 s | 3.09 s | 4.52 s | 7.72 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) |
8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
26 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/North Carolina's Pro Day[3] | ||||||||||||
Baltimore Ravens
editBrown started all 16 games at guard in the 2007 season after spending 2005 and 2006 as a backup to Ravens starter Mike Flynn. He later started all 16 games in the 2008 season as a center. He was considered the best interior offensive lineman going into free agency after the end of season.[4]
St. Louis Rams
editBrown visited the Rams in the first day of free agency February 27, 2009. The next day, he agreed to a five-year deal worth $37.5 million, including a $20 million in guaranteed money. The deal would make Brown the highest paid center in the NFL.[4][5] However, on March 10, it was reported that the contract had been disapproved by the league and the two sides were working to correct the issue.[6] The deal was finally approved by the NFL on March 12.[7][8]
On March 12, 2012, Brown was released by the Rams.
Free agency
editBrown became an unrestricted free agent and received a conservative one-year contract offer from the Baltimore Ravens and attended visits with the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers.[9][10][11]
After football
editBrown chose to walk away from football in 2012 at the age of 29 to become a farmer in Louisburg, North Carolina. He maintains a 1,000-acre farm called First Fruits Farm where he grows produce such as sweet potatoes and cucumbers. He donates these crops to local food pantries, having given away over 500,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and 50,000 pounds of cucumbers. Brown began learning about farming practices in 2012 by watching YouTube videos.[12]
Brown also owns and manages a special events venue called Amazing Graze Barn, which is located on the grounds of First Fruits Farm.[13] The barn is available for hosting weddings as well as corporate events and community gatherings.[13]
Personal life
editBrown, who is African-American,[14] is a practicing Christian.[15]
Jason and Tay Brown married in 2003. They have 8 children.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Jason Brown Draft Profile". Sports Illustrated. April 2005. Archived from the original on April 26, 2005. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "2005 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Jason Brown College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Rams sign former Ravens center Brown to five-year, $37.5M deal". NFL.com. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ Chadiha, Jeffri (October 15, 2009). "Spikes in value, hikes in pay". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "JASON BROWN'S RAMS DEAL DISAPPROVED". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. March 10, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "Jason Brown Profile". Profootball.scout.com. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "LEAGUE APPROVES BROWN'S CONTRACT". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. March 12, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "NFL Free Agency: Why Jason Brown and Eric Steinbach Make Sense for the Ravens". bleacherreport.com. April 18, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ Sando, Mike (April 3, 2012). "49ers update: Curious case of Jason Brown". ESPN. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ "Jason Brown taking his time in free agency". stltoday.com. April 13, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ "Ex-NFL Player Who Made $25 Million Quit Football At Age 29 To Become A Farmer". Business Insider. November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ a b Amazing Graze Barn - About Us, Retrieved Oct. 13, 2019.
- ^ "Former Star Center Jason Brown Trades NFL Career for Tractor to Help Feed Needy". GoodBlackNews.org. Louisburg, North Carolina. November 23, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ "Former NFL Player Raises Crops for the Needy". January 2019.
- ^ Griepentrog, Troy (July 11, 2016). "Jason Brown: From the NFL to farming". Focus on the Family. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
External links
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