As a society, we’re always trying out the next new thing; well, not so much “new” as a combination of the old stuff we already like. They don’t always work out (Mustardayonnaise? Sparks Malt Beverage?), but we can get a great hybrid off the line every once in the while.

Most people get a look at Everette Brown’s size and speed and see what could be the first true defensive end/ linebacker to make it in the NFL. Take something more than a glance at the man, and you’ll see a hybrid of a different kind: a top-tier athlete who graduated early and still found time to do endless volunteer work. That kind of work ethic is going to be what makes him something special in the pros, and it’s that same thing that has gotten him this far already.

So where did he start out? Well, Brown was born in the small town of Stantonsburg, NC, and went to Beddingfield High School. While there, Brown started compiling some serious numbers and by his senior year he was the top defensive lineman in North Carolina, the third weakside defensive end in the country, and was ranked 78th in the nation overall. His senior year alone, Brown has 16 sacks and 120 tackles. But rather than rest on the bench, Brown iron-manned it as a tight end, catching 40 passes for 770 yards with 10 touchdowns.

Naturally, Brown was high on any recruiters’ list that year, being courted by Georgia, Florida State, North Carolina State, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and UNC. Seems Brown felt a lot more comfortable in the small, college town atmosphere of Tallahassee and settled on Florida State.

Redshirted during his freshman year, Brown spent the time volunteering, studying, and bulking up. His first year of active play proved that sitting out a season had been a great idea. Brown played in all 13 games, starting in three of them and recording a tackle in all but one of them, as well as blocking a field goal attempt in a game against Troy. Not entirely outstanding stats, but considering the caliber of those working around him and their respective ages, Brown was certainly no slouch.

The promise he showed in his first season continued into 2007 where Brown became a regular starter as a defensive end. That year Brown really started to shine. He had a career high 37 tackles (with seven tackles coming in one game against Virginia Tech), two sacks in one game against Alabama, a sack in four straight games at one point, and led the team in overall QB takedowns with 6.5.

Everette Brown started the 2008 season with a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders. The kind of pressure a player feels at this point could break somebody, yet Brown didn’t stop tearing through offensive lines. It seems almost unbelievable that he could find time to volunteer while still keeping his grades up, but go down the list of places he’s helped out (Riley Elementary and Speight Middle School, The Able Trust, The Tallahassee Seminole Club, The Dick Howser Center for Childhood Services, Read Across America, and so on and on) and we quickly find that not only was he able to do exactly what he wanted, he also exceeded expectations. His season on the field was no different.

Brown became one of the premier defensive players in NCAA football last year.

Starting all 13 games at right defensive end, he was named runner-up for both the ACC defensive player of the year and the ACC overall player of the year, was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award as the best defensive player in the country, was third in the nation with 13.5 total sacks and was the only player in college football to rank in the top 4 for both sacks and tackles for loss.

How is Brown able to bust through offensive lines so often? Because of his speed off the snap, even from a three-point stance, Brown was and is able to blow by the offensive line before they can even react. Once the play starts, Brown also has some great moves to get around guys and his ability to stay low while running makes him tough to keep out.

All this speed though, comes at a price. Scouts’ major concern about Brown is his size. When running up against NFL-sized double teams, Brown, listed at the NFL combine at 256 lbs., would be more or less manhandled.

Fortunately for Brown, his size is something that can still be improved. While a bit short for the NFL, he has space on his frame to pack on more muscle – something he’s already proven by increasing his weight significantly before the combine.

Another problem arises not so much from Brown’s ability, but his overall experience. The Florida State defense is widely known for its simple, straightforward style of play and while it can often be effective, a player like Brown may not have had the chance to practice more complicated defensive schemes and thus exchanging a quarterback rush for trying to guard against the pass might be a difficult leap for him initially.

But if anything, Brown’s dedication to improvement is his defining characteristic. He may struggle in his new roles on defense at first, but more than likely it won’t be for very long.

Everett Brown’s got a lot going for him, while not at the top of the list for most scouts, he is nevertheless vying for the position. In terms of the draft, Brown’s got skills that make him a wise decision for any team and his adaptability and work ethic are sure signs of a successful career to come. Oh, and while a lot of people may think that quitting college to play in the pros is not wise down the road, Brown graduated early.

Latest on Brown
While initially thought to be selected behind Andre Smith, recent behavior on Smith’s part has dropped him down the rankings, while good combine times by Brown have helped him. A lot of teams could use a player like Brown and so hammering out a lock for who will pick him is difficult. Some mock drafts have him as high as number one with the Lions trying to solidify their defense, or as low as 10 to the 49ers.

Career
Player Bio: Everette Brown Florida State Official Athletic Site
Brown’s Bio at the FSU official site has career stats and complete listing of awards.

News and Commentary
Florida’s DE Brown to go pro
Word on his official announcement to enter the draft.

Mock Draft: Everette Brown climbs to the top
Recent Mock Draft from Yahoo Sports.

Exit Interview: Everette Brown
Article on Brown by the Seminoles official fan blog.

Everette Brown: The Sack Machine
Profile on Brown by TheBleacherReport.

Brown says
On why he would be a good pick for any team
“I can bring the whole package as far as a guy who can get up the field quickly and will also study the playbook every day and work hard.”
Posted in TomahawkNation.com

Sources and Links
Scout.com
Tomahawknation.com
Bucem.com
FFToolbox.com
ESPN.com
Florida State Offcial Athletic Site

What do you dream about? NBA Finals Game 7 with five seconds left, you catch the pass at the top of the key and…swish. Lottery numbers dropping into place on your winning ticket while you sip a martini next to Minka Kelly? Not Michael Crabtree. He doesn’t dream about being the next big NFL star or driving a Ferrari around Milan.

Michael Crabtree dreams of routes, pass coverages, and catching, catching, catching.

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, Crabtree has always had an intensity bordering on the surreal. Because of his size and physicality, Crabtree’s father chose to have him play football in leagues above his age.

“I actually cried the few times he made me play against people my age,” Crabtree said. “I was like, ‘Dad, I don’t want to hurt those little kids.”

After dominating the youth leagues, Crabtree continued showing his phenomenal ability at Carter High School by playing both basketball and football. In fact, his first scholarship offer from Texas Tech, his future university, came in the form of a basketball scholarship. In his senior year, Crabtree averaged more than 20 points a game. This is not to say he was slacking on football during his high school career. He was one of the best football players in the state as a quarterback. As a matter of fact, he only had one reception his senior year, but rushed for 646 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 total carries. He also added an interception, as well.

After high school, Illinois, Michigan State, and Kansas all offered him scholarships as a quarterback. It was Crabtree’s decision to accept the scholarship to Texas Tech after coming to the conclusion that wide receiver was a better fit. With hands nine inches across and a 34-inch vertical, he seemed to have made the right choice.

Crabtree’s style of play was perfect for head coach Mike Leach’s spread offense at Texas Tech. With four or five receivers on any given play, it’s natural that there would be a lot of passes, and that a hefty number of those would be flying towards Crabtree. Over the course of just two seasons in a Tech uniform, Crabtree had 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. He averaged 120.3 yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game. Although he decided to enter the draft after his sophomore year, there would have been a pretty good chance that he’d have broken almost every major reception record in the NCAA. His numbers for the first two seasons alone were enough to net him a pile of awards and accolades, among them were the Biletnikoff award (for the best collegiate receiver) for two straight years, All Big 12 first team, All-American, and the Scout.com Freshman of the Year award.

Despite these incredible accomplishments, Crabtree’s best asset is his playmaking ability – something that shines through in any offense. It was this same ability that led him to make one of college football’s biggest plays last season. The play in reference was the game-winning touchdown reception he had against rival Texas at home late in the year. A game between the No.1 (Texas) and No. 2 ranked teams in the country. Crabtree caught an outside pass on the edge of the field, tip-toed along the sideline, broke two tackles, and ran into the end zone with a single second remaining in regulation. Needless to say, Tech fans went wild.

It’s that kind of clutch play that really makes Crabtree a valuable commodity. Entering the upcoming draft, most invision Crabtree as a top 10, if not top 5, selection. Only his top end speed and blocking ability have been questioned. And while speed is hard to dramatically increase, the latter can be remedied by a good pro coaching staff.

So look out NFL – here comes Michael Crabtree. People don’t often have dreams simple enough to accomplish on a daily basis like Crabtree – nor do they have the arena to change the humdrum to amazing. Crabtree has been doing it for years at the most crucial times in the biggest games. But don’t ask him about those pressure moments, heated rivalries, and upcoming games. As he said recently after a game, “I just see balls in the air.”

Latest on Michael Crabtree

Crabtree’s Stock is Dropping
It seems that despite prior announcements, Crabtree was unable to run at the NFL combine. His ranking in the top 10 picks for the draft appears to be falling.

Career

WikiCollegeFootball Michael Crabtree
For a complete list of career statistics, awards, and personal information.

News and Commentary

70 Receptions, 17 Touchdowns and 2 Sports
A great article about Michael Crabtree

Crabtree Zone
A frequently updated website devoted entirely to Michael Crabtree.

Michael Grabtree Grabs His Second Biletnikoff
The first player to ever receive the award twice.

Crabtree Says

On not competing in the Texas State Championship while in high school
“From my years in high school, I feel like I didn’t give it all I could give,” Crabtree said. “I feel like I could have gone to state if I would have given it my all. I didn’t want to feel like that again – should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. I’m at that time right now that I’m remembering that, so every time I go on the field, it’s like I’m giving it my all because I’m not going to feel that same way I felt in high school. I don’t want any regrets.”

Sources and Links

Rivals.com
WikiCollegeFootball.org
NFL.com
ESPN.com

Wells once told his father that he wanted to be the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. Though this did not come true, Wells was a true freshman in his first year at Ohio State, playing in all 13 games. Even though he was just one player on a talented offense, Wells still finished second on the team in rushing with 576 yards on 104 carries.

By his second year, the spotlight was officially on Wells, and he was voted Most Valuable Player by his teammates. Wells rushed for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns, which ranked him fourth among all-time OSU single-season running backs and first among sophomore rushers.

But a memorable 38-24 loss to LSU in the 2008 BCS title game still haunts Wells and the Ohio State campus. In his third (and likely final) college season, Wells is projected by many to win the Heisman. Along with quarterback Todd Boeckman and an outstanding defense, Wells is expected to lead the Buckeyes to yet another BCS national championship.

An Ohio boy through and through, Wells was raised by his parents in Akron, Ohio along with his ten siblings. Ohio State was always the first choice for Wells, who was scouted by many prestigious schools after his time at Akron Garfield High School. It’s only been two years at OSU, but former Buckeye and two-time Heisman Trophy Winner Archie Griffin is already comparing “Beanie” to Jim Brown.

Obviously, this young man has boundless potential. If he can get over his nagging ankle and wrist injuries, he’ll likely fulfill it.

Wells on the Web

Ohio State Buckeyes: Official player page for Wells
Find career stats, highlights and a bio on Wells at OSU’s official player page.

ESPN.com player profile page for Wells
Find game by game stats, scores and a small bio on Wells at ESPN.com.

Rotoworld player page for Wells
Check out all the latest player news on Wells at Rotoworld.com.

The best Chris Wells fansite
A fansite dedicated to Chris “Beanie” Wells.

Latest on Wells

Wells will return for his junior year at Ohio State. Based off his phenomenal sophomore year— rushing for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns—he is a likely candidate to win this year’s Heisman Trophy.

News and Commentary

Sports Illustrated.com: 2008 Heisman candidate breakdown
SI.com expects Wells to be among one of the leading vote-getters for the Heisman in 2008.

Is Wells the next Jim Brown?
The Cleveland Plain-Dealer discusses whether or not Wells is the next Jim Brown, a legendary runner for the Browns.

Beanie says ankle injury nothing to worry about
Even though Wells is expected to compete for the Heisman Trophy in 2008, he does have a history of injuries.

Wells Says

On his nickname

“I got the nickname because when I was a baby, I came out and my big brother said I had a bean head.”

On Americans being fed up with Ohio State

“We don’t have to prove ourselves to anyone. We just go out there, play our game, and move on.”

On Archie Griffin comparing him to Jim Brown

“It’s just incredible to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Jim Brown, let alone have Archie Griffin, a two-time Heisman Trophy winner, say it.”

On how often he thinks about winning the Heisman

“All the time.”