Alex Brown (defensive end) facts for kids
Brown with the Bears in 2008
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||
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| Born: | June 4, 1979 Jasper, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Jasper (FL) Hamilton County | ||||||||||
| College: | Florida | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2002 / Round: 4 / Pick: 104 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Alex James Brown, born on June 4, 1979, is a former American football player. He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for nine years. Brown played college football for the University of Florida. He was named an All-American two times. The Chicago Bears chose Brown in the 2002 NFL draft. He also played for the New Orleans Saints.
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Early Life and High School
Alex Brown was born in Jasper, Florida in 1979. He went to Hamilton County High School in Jasper. There, he played high school football for the Hamilton County Trojans.
High School Football Star
In 1996, as a senior quarterback, Brown was amazing. He threw for 863 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 767 yards and scored eighteen touchdowns. As a linebacker, he made 117 tackles. He also blocked five passes and recovered four fumbles. Brown was named an all-state player in Florida. He was also a high school All-American.
Other Sports
Brown was also a great basketball player. He was good at track and field too. In 1996, he became the state champion in the discus throw.
College Football Career
Brown received a scholarship to play football at the University of Florida. He played for the Florida Gators football team from 1998 to 2001. The coaches decided he should "red-shirt" his first year. This meant he practiced but did not play in games in 1997.
Starting Strong
In 1998, he played as an outside linebacker. He made ten tackles and had two sacks. In 1999, Brown became a starter. He made 56 tackles and had 7.5 sacks. On September 18, 1999, he had his best college game. He sacked quarterback Tee Martin five times. This helped the Gators beat the second-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. He was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was also a first-team All-American.
Team Captain and Awards
In 2000, Brown was a team captain. He started every game as a defensive end. He had 10.5 sacks and blocked three kicks. He was again a first-team All-SEC player. He was also a second-team All-American.
As a senior in 2001, Brown had a career-high thirteen sacks. He was named first-team All-SEC again. He was also a consensus first-team All-American. This means most experts agreed he was one of the best. He was also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2001.
Gators Record Holder
During his college career, Brown made 161 tackles. He set a Gators record with 33 quarterback sacks. In 2012, he was added to the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. This honor is for "Gator Greats."
Professional Football Career
Chicago Bears Years
The Chicago Bears chose Alex Brown in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. He played for the Bears from 2002 to 2009. As a rookie in 2002, he started nine games. He had 2.5 sacks and 40 tackles.
In 2003, he became a full-time starter. He led the Bears with 5.5 sacks. He also had a career-high 58 tackles. In 2004, he started all 16 games. He had six sacks and 50 tackles. In one game against the New York Giants, he had four sacks. For this, he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Week.
In 2005, Brown was almost chosen for the Pro Bowl. He had 75 tackles and six sacks. Sports Illustrated picked him for their All-Pro Team. In 2006, he had a career-high seven sacks. He also made two interceptions. He started all 16 games for the fifth year in a row.
In 2008, Brown made a big play against the Green Bay Packers. He blocked a field goal attempt. This helped the Bears win the game in overtime. In 2009, he had two key sacks against Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bears won that game. After the 2009 season, the Bears released Brown.
New Orleans Saints
On April 7, 2010, the New Orleans Saints signed Brown. He played his last NFL season for the Saints. He started all 16 games as a left defensive end. The Saints released him in August 2011.
Retirement
On August 9, 2012, Alex Brown signed a special one-day contract with the Bears. This allowed him to officially retire as a Chicago Bear. His 43.5 sacks with the Bears rank fourth in team history. His five interceptions are second among Bears defensive ends.
In his nine years in the NFL, Brown played in 143 games. He started 123 of them. He had 421 tackles and 45.5 quarterback sacks. He also forced 17 fumbles and recovered 12. He made five interceptions.
Life After Football
After his football career, Alex Brown started working for Coyote Logistics. He also became a sports analyst. He works for 120 Sports "Football Fix" in Chicago.
Brown also hosts a sports radio talk show. He hosts it with his former Bears teammate Desmond Clark and Ryan Steele. After Bears games, Brown is an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago's Football Aftershow. He works with David Kaplan, former teammate Lance Briggs, and former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt.
Brown is also involved in local politics. He is a Republican precinct committeeman in Vernon Hills, Illinois. He lives there with his wife, Kari, who is a village trustee.
See Also
- 1999 College Football All-America Team
- 2001 College Football All-America Team
- Florida Gators football, 1990–99
- List of Chicago Bears players
- List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
- List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
- List of New Orleans Saints players
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
Images for kids
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Brown with the Bears in 2008
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Brown (left), with teammates Adewale Ogunleye, Tommie Harris, and Mark Anderson in 2008.
