Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1496986
M A Y 2 0 2 3 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Ji'Ayir Brown S | 5-11 | 203 Projection: Fourth-Round Pick When Brown elected to go the juco route coming out of Trenton (N.J.) Cen- tral, his goal was simply to play for a ma- jor-college program one day. Attending a school like Penn State would be incred- ible, he thought, but realistically, just getting the opportunity to play in Divi- sion I would be deeply satisfying. When he got to Lackawanna College in 2018, Brown hit the ground running, totaling 40 tackles and 5 interceptions in his first season. He compiled those numbers playing alongside safety Jaquan Brisker. Although he didn't know it at the time, the two defensive backs would both go on to play key roles at Penn State in the years to come. "We've seen what it was like to be at the bottom of the barrel and to literally climb up," Brown said. "We both did it by ourselves with our hard work and dedi- cation." Brisker is now in the NFL, having been selected by Chicago in the second round last year, and Brown is about to join him. Following Penn State's victory over Utah in the Rose Bowl, Brown stayed in California to train for the NFL Draft. He performed well at the combine and then improved on his numbers at Penn State's Pro Day, running a 4.57-second 40-yard dash and a 4.22-second 20-yard shuttle. Add in a 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump and 35.5-inch vertical, and Brown couldn't have asked for a better experience during his last workout in Holuba Hall. "This is how I got into Penn State, in this same arena," he said, recalling a work- out for James Franklin and his staff that helped him earn a scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions years earlier. "Just being around my people, where I first started at, brought a lot of comfort and relaxation." Brown is projected to be a fourth-round pick, but no matter where he ends up, he's just looking for another opportunity to prove himself all over again, much like he did with the Nittany Lions. "Penn State was a perfect place for me," he said. "Coach Franklin has been tre- mendous to me. The coaching staff has been tremendous to me. The people in this area, all of State College, the fans, they've been great to me. Me and my family couldn't thank them enough for everything." — Ryan Snyder Measurements ARMS 31.25 inches HANDS 10 INCHES 40 4.57 SECONDS BENCH 18 REPS VERTICAL 35.5 INCHES BROAD 10 FEET, 4 INCHES 3-CONE — 20-YARD SHUTTLE 4.22 SECONDS What They're Saying About Ji'Ayir Brown "Ji'Ayir Brown has tremendous ball produc- tion over the past two seasons. He flashes downhill in run support but is over eager, and that often results in a missed tackle. He is a high motor player and teammates feed off his energy. He just needs to rein in that en- thusiasm and come to balance more often in space." — CBS Sports "Brown aligned primarily as a deep safety in split-safety looks for the Nittany Lions but has also seen snaps in the box and in the slot. He has above-average size for the position and is a good overall athlete. Brown displays excellent straight-line speed and burst, both as a run defender and in coverage." — Brentley Weissman, NFL Draft Network Brown was a ball hawk in his three seasons at Penn State, finishing with 9 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 forced fumbles. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL