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Diamond Hunter: A Matter of Size

Coming from humble roots, Sam Houston's Chris Brown is one of the best defensive ends in his league. The size of his heart makes up for any perceived lack of physical bulk.

By Jeff Glatzer

Chris Brown is not your prototypical defensive end. But through guts, hard work and relentless determination, he has made himself into an award winning player. He is passionate and demonstrates a relentless motor, giving him the speed and stamina to take it to the quarterback all day long.

Brown, who uses every inch of his ability in his 6-2, 220 frame, plays for the Bearkats of the Southland Conference in Division I-AA football. They rank among the best Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) leagues in the nation, and enjoy an annual expectation of competing for the national championship with multiple teams advancing to the NCAA playoffs each year.

Brown is a two-time All-Southland first team defensive end and he was named to the College Sports News All-America in 2008 and was the Sports Network honorable mention All-America in 2007. He finished No. 3 in QB sacks (9) and No. 4 in tackles for losses (11) in the SLC in 2008.

Born in Texarkana, Texas Brown comes from a humble background, but used all of the turbulence in his life to release his aggression on the football field. He has the heart that every coach wants in their players and is a studious kind of person with a sense of humor.

Defensive Line Coach Duane Dirk says Brown uses his height to his advantage. "He's not a very big guy, but he knows how to use his size and speed to make a lot of plays."

Speed is Brown's number one asset, giving him the flexibility to shed blocks and make plays. He has excellent foot speed and usually plays with one hand in the dirt. Even though he is built like a big-time safety, he plays with an enormous amount of passion and heart.

"He gives everything he has when he's out there. He's not your typical 275 [pound] defensive end, he's 220 pounds but he plays like 270…He doesn't hold anything back," states Dirk.

Brown initially enrolled at Texas, but eventually decided that the Longhorns were not in his long term plans. He then transferred to Sam Houston State. He instantly got more reps and playing time in a system that would utilize his stature.

The Bearkats use a 4-2-5 base defense with a single high safety. This maximizes Brown's strengths and athleticism to dominate the line of scrimmage and instill genuine fear in quarterbacks.

Running backs have to be made aware of Brown's ability to race around the corner in pursuit of the ball carrier. Brown has the quickness and quick first step to make it difficult to run away. Coach Dirk backs up that statement. "Because of his speed and size, when you run away from him he'll catch you from behind."

Brown's recovery speed isn't the only ability the opposition has to worry about. He is a sure tackler in space and that makes it difficult to get a running game established.

Studying the opponent is also important to Brown. He puts as much effort into his study of game film as he does on the football field. He prides himself on being capable and ready for all challenges.

Coach Dirk admitted that the defense has explored utilizing Brown in a different defensive alignment to further take advantage of his speed. "We are going to try to do some different things this year than last year to keep them [the opposition] guessing," says Dirk.

Leadership is a quality that comes natural to Brown. His relentless passion for the game and will to win exude confidence and allow other players to follow his approach.

As the saying always goes, "good things do come in small packages".