Blue White Illustrated

S P R I N G P R A C T I C E W R A P name is Journey. What could be more ap- propriate than a name like Journey? Jour- neys connote distances, and distances connote first downs. If you're a running back, especially at a school that takes great pride in its long tailback lineage, you could do a lot worse than to make that sort of subconscious connection. And yet, during his first two seasons on Penn State's campus, Brown didn't feel like he was getting anywhere. It was un- derstood that he wouldn't simply show up and parlay his blazing speed into an immediate role in the backfield. He would have to wait his turn, and even then, speed alone wasn't going to propel him into the starting lineup. But even though he went into his college career with his eyes open, the transition was difficult. Penn State's system was very different from the wing-T offense in which he had excelled at Meadville (Pa.) High, and as he attempted to master it, he found himself de- veloping some bad mental habits. Brown had a ten- dency to dwell on per- sonal and academic problems, to the point where they became football problems, too. "It would let it clog my brain," he said. "In high school, football was my escape. I always used football to get away from my off-the-field challenges. I feel like I kind of lost that [at Penn State]. It was more of a business-type thing. I wasn't having as much fun. I was dwelling on stuff on the field… and I wasn't satisfied with my play." Brown redshirted his first year, then found himself play- GAINING GROUND Brown is poised to see his productivity rise substantially this year after a redshirt freshman season in which he rushed only eight times for 44 yards. Photo by Steve Manuel

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