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 June 4, 1979) is a former American football player. He was a defensive end and played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Alex played college football at the University of Florida, where he was named an All-American twice. The Chicago Bears chose him in the 2002 NFL draft. He also played for the New Orleans Saints.
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Early Life and High School Sports
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.
In 1996, as a senior quarterback, Alex was amazing. He threw for 863 yards and scored four touchdowns. He also ran for 767 yards and scored eighteen touchdowns. As a starting linebacker, he made 117 tackles. He also blocked five passes and recovered four fumbles. Alex was named an all-state player in Florida. He was also recognized as a high school All-American.
Besides football, Alex was a great basketball player. He also excelled in track and field. In 1996, he was the state champion in discus throwing.
College Football Career
Alex Brown received a scholarship to play football at the University of Florida. He played for the Florida Gators football team from 1998 to 2001. In 1997, he took a "red-shirt" year, meaning he practiced but didn't play in games. This allowed him to gain experience.
In 1998, he played as an outside linebacker. He made ten tackles and had two sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.
Becoming an All-American
As a sophomore in 1999, Alex became a starter. He made 56 tackles and had 7.5 sacks. One of his best college games was against the Tennessee Volunteers. He sacked their quarterback, Tee Martin, five times. This helped the Gators win a big upset game. He was named a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) player. He was also a first-team All-American.
In 2000, Alex was a team captain. He started every game as a right defensive end. He made 50 tackles and had 10.5 sacks. He also blocked three kicks. He was again a first-team All-SEC player. He was also named a second-team All-American.
As a senior in 2001, Alex had 45 tackles and a career-best thirteen sacks. He was a first-team All-SEC player again. He was also recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. This means most experts agreed he was one of the best. He was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
College Records and Hall of Fame
During his four years in college, Alex made 161 tackles. He set a Gators' record with 33 quarterback sacks. In 2012, he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. This honor is given to "Gator Greats."
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
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| 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) |
260 lb (118 kg) |
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| Values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Playing for the Chicago Bears
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 58 tackles and forced two fumbles. In 2004, he started all sixteen games. He had six sacks and 50 tackles. In one game against the New York Giants, he had a career-high four sacks. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Week for his great performance.
In 2005, Alex was almost chosen for the Pro Bowl. He had 75 tackles and six sacks. Sports Illustrated also picked him for their All-Pro Team. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in November 2005. In 2006, he had a career-high seven sacks. He also made two interceptions.
In 2007, Alex played in all sixteen games for the fifth year in a row. He had 4.5 sacks and 58 tackles. On December 22, 2008, he blocked a field goal attempt by the Green Bay Packers. This helped the Bears win the game in overtime. In 2009, he had two key sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bears won that game 17–14.
The Bears released Alex Brown on April 1, 2010.
Time with the New Orleans Saints
On April 7, 2010, the New Orleans Saints signed Alex Brown. He played his final NFL season for the Saints. He started all sixteen games as a left defensive end. The Saints released him on August 30, 2011.
Retirement from Football
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. With the Bears, his 43.5 sacks rank fourth in team history. His five interceptions rank second among Bears defensive ends.
In his nine-season NFL career, Alex played in 143 games. He started 123 of them. He had 421 tackles and 43.5 quarterback sacks. He also forced 17 fumbles and made 5 interceptions.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Alex Brown started a new career. He works for a company called Coyote Logistics.
He is also a sports analyst for "Football Fix" in Chicago. He co-hosts a sports radio talk show called Dez Clark & Alex Brown Show. After Bears games, Alex is an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago's Football Aftershow.
Alex 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
