Not to be confused with Chris brown singer
Christopher Rejean Brown (born April 17, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado Buffales, earning first-team All-American honors in 2002. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft.
Early life Brown started his football journey playing Pop Warner football in the Naperville Youth Football League. In 1991 Brown was the star running back for the Jr Pee Wee Travel team Naperville Jr Redskins coached by Glenn Earl Sr, father of Glenn Earl, who Brown played with at Naperville North High School and in the NFL on the Houston Texans. Brown and the 1991 Naperville Traveling Redskins went 8-1 (2nd Place in League) only losing to the Harvey Colts 28-27 despite a 3 TD performance including a kickoff return for a Touchdown with 11 seconds left to bring the Naperville JR Redskins within a 2 point conversion of winning. In High School Brown was named Prep Football Report and Super Prep All-American, first-team All-State, and Daily Herald first-team All-Area as senior at Naperville North High School in Naperville, Illinois, rushing for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns. He rushed for 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns in his career at Naperville North, where he played with future Titans teammate Justin McCareins, as well as former Houston Texans defensive back Glenn Earl.
College career Brown was recruited by Gary Barnett at Northwestern University and signed with NU under new coach Randy Walker after Barnett took the Colorado head coaching job. Unhappy with being switched to receiver, Brown left Northwestern after the 1999 season and played a year at Fort Scott Junior College before transferring again to the University of Colorado. At Colorado, Barnett provided him an opportunity to become one of the school's all-time leading rushers, including a school record 6 TDs against Nebraska in 2001 during his sophomore season. Brown's success continued into 2002, playing himself into a dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate, before a late-season injury derailed his season and caused him to miss 2 and a half games. To most Colorado fans' dismay, Brown elected to skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
Professional career
Tennessee Titans Brown was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft, with the 93rd overall selection. As a rookie in 2003, Brown was not available to play during the preseason and five regular season games due to a hamstring injury. Although being behind two other backs, Brown averaged 3.9 yards per carry on 56 carries totaling 221 yards, the Titans' team high for the 2003 season. He also performed very well in the playoffs.
At the beginning of the 2004 season, Brown was promoted to starting running back due to the absence of Eddie George in the Titans' lineup. He had a strong start, and finished the season with 1,067 yards, but several injuries forced him to miss significant time and also affected his play. He led the NFL in Yards per carry in 2004.
In January 2005, Brown underwent successful surgery on both ankles. In 2005, Brown ran for 851 yards. Brown has been criticized in the past for running too upright and not running as powerfully as other backs his size. In 2006, the Titans drafted LenDale White, a more traditional power runner, coupled with the emergence of Travis Henry, Brown was deactivated for several games during the 2006 season. Brown completed his contract with the Titans before leaving as a free agent to sign with the Houston Texans.
Brown rushed for a career-high 175 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 9, 2007.
Houston Texans On March 13, 2008, Brown was signed by the Houston Texans to a two-year deal worth $3.6 million, including an $800,000 signing bonus. Brown played well for the Texans, but his Week 3 fumble, his only of the season, against the Jacksonville Jaguars cost the team a chance to tie a game and force overtime. He also was intercepted on a halfback pass that was a poorly conceived play. Brown completed his two-year contract with the Texans.
NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high
Regular season Year Team Games Rushing Receiving GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 2003 TEN 11 0 56 221 3.9 28 0 8 61 7.6 11 0 2004 TEN 11 11 220 1,067 4.9 52 6 20 147 7.4 21 0 2005 TEN 15 14 224 851 3.8 38 5 25 327 13.1 57 2 2006 TEN 5 3 41 156 3.8 21 0 2 4 2.0 4 0 2007 TEN 12 1 102 462 4.5 42 5 19 128 6.7 16 0 2009 HOU 14 4 79 267 3.4 13 3 16 74 4.6 12 0 68 33 722 3,024 4.2 52 19 90 741 8.2 57 2
Playoffs Year Team Games Rushing Receiving GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 2003 TEN 2 0 18 96 5.3 16 2 1 2 2.0 2 0 2007 TEN 1 1 4 13 3.3 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 1 22 109 5.0 16 2 1 2 2.0 2 0
Personal life
Brown is the younger brother of Levelle Brown, fullback formerly of the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. Chris has a younger sister named LaShawndra Brown who played Division III basketball. Chris lives in Houston with his wife and three children.
References
External links Houston Texans bio Tennessee Titans bio