Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
I f there's one thing that James Franklin and his sta7 have proven these past few seasons, it's that they're not afraid to give freshmen a chance. While the emer- gence of players such as Marcus Allen and Andrew Nelson didn't come as a big sur- prise to those who follow the program closely, there have also been a few players, such as cornerback Grant Haley, who have seemed to come out of nowhere. As Penn State heads into the 2016 season, there has been plenty of speculation about which players may be the next to make an instant impact. Running back Miles Sanders is the popular pick, and his three- touchdown, MVP-winning performance for Pennsylvania in the Big 33 game didn't do anything to dampen the excitement surrounding his arrival. But all it took that night was a look across the line of scrim- mage to potentially 6nd another player who may be on the verge of making his mark on the Nittany Lions. At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Cameron Brown may not look like a prototypical linebacker. He'll be the 6rst to tell you that he still needs to add some weight, but he is versatile and has a high football IQ , two attributes that always bode well for players who are at the beginning of their career. "He's outstanding. There's nothing that young man cannot do," said DaLawn Par- rish, who was the head coach of Maryland in this year's Big 33. "He's long and athletic, but he's also very physical. He uses all three to his advantage when he needs to. Because of that, he can play linebacker, defensive end or even tight end." A two-year standout at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., Brown did just that dur- ing the Big 33 game. Although he didn't record a sack, he turned a lot of heads by keeping Pennsylvania's quarterbacks under constant pressure, and he walked away with Maryland's Most Valuable Player award. He even added two receptions for 27 yards at tight end. "It was a great experience. Working with those guys all week, I feel like I learned a lot in just a couple days," Brown said. "The game plays like a college game be- cause everyone is fast, everyone is elite. Pennsylvania had a really good team this year. They had a lot players going to big schools, so I'm happy that I got to test myself. I think I did well." Before the game even started, Brown had captured the attention of coaches and teammates, as he was named one of Mary- land's three captains. One of his future Nittany Lion teammates, wide receiver Dae'lun Darien, said Brown displayed strong leadership qualities during his time in the Maryland camp. "Cam went out of his way to help me out," Darien said. "I joined the team late, so he helped me get to know the guys, get to know all the coaches. When we got out on the 6eld then, he was kind of like a coach at times. When he spoke, everyone would listen. "He really took charge of our defense. I never knew he was like that, so that really kind of stuck with me." Along with the rest of the Class of 2016, Brown moved in at Penn State on June 25 to o8cially begin his career as a Nittany Lion. However, before that, he made it clear that regardless of whether he redshirts or not this coming fall, he feels good about his chances of making an impact early in his career. "Honestly, I think I have a pretty good chance to play this year," he said. "If the coaches decide to redshirt me, that's 6ne with me. I know I can make an impact in 2017, a9er I learn for a year. But because of our situation at linebacker, I feel like there's a pretty good chance that I don't redshirt. "I know that I'm ready to play. Even if it's just special teams this year, I feel like that experience will help me a lot. If I can also get some time on defense, all the bet- ter." ■ Brown aspires to make an early impact for Lions | Visit bluewhiteonline.com to see video of Brown in action. THE BROWN FILE STATS Finished with 154 tackles in two varsity seasons at the Bullis School, despite missing the final four games of his senior season due to a knee injury... Had 12 tackles for loss as a junior... Totaled 16 receptions for 350 yards and six touchdowns play- ing tight end as a senior... Helped Bullis win back-to-back Interstate Athletic Conference championships in 2014 and '15... Also competed on the track and field team HONORS Named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 13 player in Maryland and No. 28 outside linebacker nationally... Received All- Conference honors from the IAC as a junior... Played in the Semper Fi- delis All- American Bowl... Cho- sen to play in the Big 33 game, after which he was named Mary- land's MVP Rivals.com