Hog Futures Anthony Brown

Defensive end makes big leap

Arkansas defensive end commitment Anthony Brown poses with Coach Bret Bielema and defensive line and specialists coach Rory Segrest during Monday's in-home visit.
Arkansas defensive end commitment Anthony Brown poses with Coach Bret Bielema and defensive line and specialists coach Rory Segrest during Monday's in-home visit.

Freshman defensive end Anthony Brown will be entering just his third season of playing football when fall practices begin for the Arkansas Razorbacks in August.

Brown, 6-4, 248 pounds, played basketball until his junior year at Archbishop Carroll High School in Miami before he decided to give football a try. He transferred to Miami Killian for his senior season and eventually earned scholarship offers from Arkansas, Michigan State, Mississippi State, South Florida, Cincinnati and others.

Anthony Brown glance

CLASS Freshman

HEIGHT 6-4

WEIGHT 248 pounds

POSITION Defensive end

HOMETOWN Miami

HIGH SCHOOL Killian

NOTEWORTHY A raw, athletic defensive end entering his third year of football. … Rated the No. 129 defensive end in the nation by ESPN and the No. 207 prospect in Florida. … Also kicked and punted as a junior, competed in regional chess competitions and volunteered at a homeless shelter in Miami.

"I have to learn whatever I can because being young in the sport and having only played two years, I really don't know much," Brown said. "The high school level and then going to play in the SEC, that's a big jump for me, but I'm willing to take on that task and just play hard.

"That's what I'm coming to do. I'm a workhorse. That's me right there."

The raw and athletic Brown recorded 34 tackles, 12 for loss, and 10 sacks while helping his team advance to the Region 4-8A semifinal round of the state playoffs.

Brown's startling athletic ability is evident on the first play of his highlight video. Brown was a junior offensive lineman at Archbishop Carroll at the time. His quarterback threw an interception at the opponent's 10-yard line, and the opposing defensive back appeared on his way to a touchdown until the 235-pound Brown chased him down from behind at the Carroll 5.

"When I saw him catch the ball, I saw the angle," Brown said. "It was just second nature to go get him."

Miami Killian Coach Cory Johnson said the play typifies Brown's potential.

"Those are the things right away that make you go, 'Wow,'" Johnson said. "His ceiling for football is still so huge and high because he hasn't really tapped into what he really is as a football player."

Brown said he never doubted that he could chase down the much smaller defensive back.

"Yeah, I thought I was going to go catch him," Brown said.

Brown said he wanted to play football in the SEC, and his choices eventually came down to Arkansas and Mississippi State. He took official visits to both schools but was won over by his trip to Fayetteville

"When I went up to Arkansas, it just felt like home," Brown said. "I felt like I was wanted there. I had love there. The coaches wanted me. I felt like I needed to be a part of the team, and that's just where I wanted to go."

He said he expects his biggest adjustment to college will be doing things on his own instead of having a push from family members.

"Just being able to discipline myself and police myself and staying away from distractions and staying focused," Brown said. "Obviously, I won't be around my parents or my guardian or anybody like that. It'll be pretty much upon me to stay disciplined and stay focused on my goal, and that's to be successful and get a degree in college."

Brown acknowledged that the support he received from Razorback fans through Twitter made a big impact on his decision.

"I love the fans in Arkansas," he said. "Everybody is a Razorback fan. They love Arkansas. That's what I like. I want to be a part of that."

Johnson said Brown should be better prepared for the more demanding approach college coaches will take following his time at Killian.

"That's another benefit he received by coming here to Miami Killian," Johnson said. "Just because he was inexperienced, it didn't mean we laid off of him."

Brown said he plans to major in business and hopes to make his mother's life easier once he graduates, whether it's in the business world or the NFL.

"My mom always had to work," said Brown, who did volunteer work during high school at Camillus House, which provides humanitarian services to the homeless in Miami-Dade County. "Being able to support my mom and her not have to struggle would be a dream come true.

"Whatever I have to do to get that, that's what I'll do."

Sports on 07/21/2014

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