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http://www.goviks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=19300&ATCLID=1481107
This was a year of highs and lows for football defensive back Jordan Brown.
The highs were when he earned a starting spot in coach Jerry Glanville’s new defensive scheme and gathered in the team’s first interception of the year against Sacramento State in a 35-24 win at PGE Park. The lows were when he tore his ACL near the end of the season and had to sit out spring practice as what seems like never-ending rehabilitation continues on the knee.
And, there was another high. Although he is an athletic sophomore, Brown is an academic junior and some of the classes relating to his major are becoming very interesting.
First to football...Jordan “earned his scholarship by being dependable. He’d find a way to do just about anything I needed from him as a corner or nickel back. He came to practice every day and was one of those guys who takes practice very seriously,” said Secondary Coach Alundis Brice.
Brown’s dedication and approach to practice is probably what made learning the newly installed defense “a lot easier than I thought it would be. Jerry Glanville is a defensive genius. We run a lot of different plays, but there’s a lot in each set that’s the same. I put in a lot of time after practice and after meetings watching films and studying our defense,” said the former Tigard High School standout.
Brice described Brown as “a really smart kid, a student of the game. He’ll work off the field. He’d go home and practice what we’d been telling him or what he was seeing on that film.”
In school, Brown had his best year so far. Just before spring finals, he was carrying nearly a 3.5 GPA for the year, a bump up from a 2.9 accumulative GPA. Some of that had to do with the course content of some classes in his criminal justice major.
“I found a Perspective on Terrorism class really interesting. I thought I knew something about the subject. After taking the class, I realized that I knew very little,” he said.
While he’s enjoying both the athletic and academic parts of his college experience, Jordan will be a lot happier when his knee is completely rehabilitated. But, the rehab also is a good life lesson in working hard to achieve a goal.
“Some days I feel that my knee is sore or I’m tired and I don’t want to do this. It’s really all on you to do the rehabilitation. It makes you understand that you have to make sacrifices in life to get what you want,” he said.
Working to get ready for next season will dominate his summer activities as he plans to stay on campus, near the athletic workout room and rehab equipment. He’ll be helping out with a football camp; maybe working with the Night Movers, a mostly-football-player crew that moves offices after hours so there’s little disruption of a firm’s work schedule, and he’ll be working hard on his knee.
When his knee is ready, he’ll be cleared for speed training...and by then, drills leading to the opening game against Western Oregon will be just around the corner.
This is one in a series of articles that will run on GoViks.com throughout the summer. The athletes featured are those who earned endowed or named athletics scholarships at Portland State during the 2007-08 year. Jordan Brown is the recipient of the Tony Beatty Scholarship presented to a defensive football player on the Viking team.
http://www.goviks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=19300&ATCLID=1481107
This was a year of highs and lows for football defensive back Jordan Brown.
The highs were when he earned a starting spot in coach Jerry Glanville’s new defensive scheme and gathered in the team’s first interception of the year against Sacramento State in a 35-24 win at PGE Park. The lows were when he tore his ACL near the end of the season and had to sit out spring practice as what seems like never-ending rehabilitation continues on the knee.
And, there was another high. Although he is an athletic sophomore, Brown is an academic junior and some of the classes relating to his major are becoming very interesting.
First to football...Jordan “earned his scholarship by being dependable. He’d find a way to do just about anything I needed from him as a corner or nickel back. He came to practice every day and was one of those guys who takes practice very seriously,” said Secondary Coach Alundis Brice.
Brown’s dedication and approach to practice is probably what made learning the newly installed defense “a lot easier than I thought it would be. Jerry Glanville is a defensive genius. We run a lot of different plays, but there’s a lot in each set that’s the same. I put in a lot of time after practice and after meetings watching films and studying our defense,” said the former Tigard High School standout.
Brice described Brown as “a really smart kid, a student of the game. He’ll work off the field. He’d go home and practice what we’d been telling him or what he was seeing on that film.”
In school, Brown had his best year so far. Just before spring finals, he was carrying nearly a 3.5 GPA for the year, a bump up from a 2.9 accumulative GPA. Some of that had to do with the course content of some classes in his criminal justice major.
“I found a Perspective on Terrorism class really interesting. I thought I knew something about the subject. After taking the class, I realized that I knew very little,” he said.
While he’s enjoying both the athletic and academic parts of his college experience, Jordan will be a lot happier when his knee is completely rehabilitated. But, the rehab also is a good life lesson in working hard to achieve a goal.
“Some days I feel that my knee is sore or I’m tired and I don’t want to do this. It’s really all on you to do the rehabilitation. It makes you understand that you have to make sacrifices in life to get what you want,” he said.
Working to get ready for next season will dominate his summer activities as he plans to stay on campus, near the athletic workout room and rehab equipment. He’ll be helping out with a football camp; maybe working with the Night Movers, a mostly-football-player crew that moves offices after hours so there’s little disruption of a firm’s work schedule, and he’ll be working hard on his knee.
When his knee is ready, he’ll be cleared for speed training...and by then, drills leading to the opening game against Western Oregon will be just around the corner.
This is one in a series of articles that will run on GoViks.com throughout the summer. The athletes featured are those who earned endowed or named athletics scholarships at Portland State during the 2007-08 year. Jordan Brown is the recipient of the Tony Beatty Scholarship presented to a defensive football player on the Viking team.
