West Virginia: Brown morphs into pro mode at quarterback since his senior season ended
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The football stuff will take care of itself.
"I'm not worried about all that. People know I can play ball. I don't think there's any doubt to most people that I can play ball," said Jarrett Brown, the recently graduated West Virginia University quarterback who is waiting to see where he will be selected in the NFL draft. "I think the biggest thing is that the scouts all want to know what I am like as a person, as someone who could someday be their leader."
And as the time draws nearer to Thursday's draft, the 6-foot-4, 224-pound Brown spoke in a different tone than he did in the fall when he was leading the Mountaineers.
It was clearer. His answers were more direct. The nervous laughter was gone.
"I have grown up as a person in the last three months," he said. "Just knowing what I face now, just knowing this is my future. I am speaking a lot more, I am understanding this process and that this is a great opportunity and that not everyone gets it.
"I have a different mind frame right now than I did just a couple of months ago. I kind of already feel like a professional, with the way I am acting."
Brown forced people to take notice with the way he performed at the Senior Bowl in late January. South roster teammate Tim Tebow of Florida was receiving much of the attention, but Brown shined in workouts and put on a consistent performance throughout the week.
Brown is one of a handful of Mountaineers who could be drafted. Almost certainly, offensive lineman Selvish Capers will be picked, and receivers Alric Arnett and Wes Lyons have a chance, as does linebacker Reed Williams.
But for Brown, he has been hearing buzz that it could come as soon as late in the second round. That might be a stretch, but most draft boards do have him among the top nine quarterback prospects available.
First Published April 21, 2010 12:00 am
