Jonathan Brown (gridiron football) facts for kids

Jonathan Bernard Brown (born November 28, 1975) is an American former professional football player. He played as a defensive end in both the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). A defensive end is a player whose job is to stop the other team's offense. They often try to tackle the quarterback.

Brown played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. The Green Bay Packers picked him in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft. He finished his playing career in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts and BC Lions. Brown also used to be the head coach for his old high school, Booker T. Washington High School.

He also played for other teams during his career. These included the Denver Broncos, Berlin Thunder, St. Louis Rams, Amsterdam Admirals, Washington Redskins, and Indiana Firebirds.

Jonathan Brown's College Football Journey

Jonathan Brown was a standout player at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In one game, he made 15 tackles and 5 sacks. He was named an All-State defensive lineman. After high school, he received a scholarship to play at the University of Tennessee.

He played for Tennessee from 1994 to 1997. In 1997, he was named to the All-SEC team. He was also a teammate of famous quarterback Peyton Manning. That year, he helped the Volunteers win the SEC title. Brown's 13.5 sacks in 1997 rank second in Tennessee history. His 27.5 career sacks are the fourth most in school history.

Jonathan Brown's Professional Career

Early NFL and NFL Europe Experience

The Green Bay Packers drafted Jonathan Brown in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft. As a rookie in 1998, he had 10 tackles in the pre-season. He played in four regular season games but did not record any stats. The Packers released him in September 1999.

Brown then signed with the Denver Broncos in December 1999. He joined their practice squad. He finished the season on the active roster but did not play in any games.

After the 1999 season, Brown played for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europa in 2000. He led the league with 10 sacks. He also had 30 tackles and two forced fumbles. After the season, he was named the NFL Europe Co-Defensive MVP.

In 2001, Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams. He later joined their practice squad. On October 23, he was moved to the Rams' active roster. He helped the Rams reach Super Bowl XXXVI against the New England Patriots. He played in three games that season but did not record any stats. The Rams released him in September 2002.

Brown was drafted by the Amsterdam Admirals in the first round of the 2003 NFL Europe Free Agent Draft. He led his team with 6.5 sacks and 26 tackles. He was named All-NFL Europe for his performance.

Playing for the Toronto Argonauts

Jonathan Brown signed with the Toronto Argonauts on May 27, 2004. He quickly became a starting defensive end for the team. He played in 16 games, missing two due to injury. His first game for the Argonauts was against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In that game, he made five tackles.

One of his best games was in Week 17 against the BC Lions. He recorded four sacks and seven tackles. In the CFL East championship game against the Montreal Alouettes, he had two tackles and recovered a fumble. He also had five tackles in the Grey Cup game, which Toronto won.

Brown re-signed with the Argonauts for the 2005 season. He was named a CFL All-Star and an East Division All-Star. He finished second in the CFL with 13 sacks. Brown started all 18 games for Toronto at defensive end. In Week 4, he recovered a fumble and scored his first CFL touchdown. He had three sacks against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 11. Three weeks later, he had two sacks against the Edmonton.

For the second year in a row, Brown was named a CFL East All-Star in 2006. He led Toronto with six sacks and started all 18 games. He recorded his first career interception against Hamilton in Week 12. He returned the interception for 29 yards. Toronto made the playoffs for the third straight year. Brown had two tackles in their overtime win against Winnipeg.

On January 10, 2007, Brown signed a contract extension until 2008. He was named CFL East Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named a CFL All-Star for the second time. He tied his career-high with 13 sacks, which was second in the league. In Week 3, he had two tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery that led to a Toronto touchdown.

Brown was named a CFL East All-Star for the fourth year in a row in 2008. He also led the Argonauts in sacks with seven. In Week 1, he had three tackles and a sack against Winnipeg. He recorded four tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery against Edmonton in Week 6. After getting two sacks in Week 6 against Winnipeg, he passed Harold Hallman for the most sacks in Toronto Argonauts team history.

Joining the BC Lions

On August 19, 2010, it was announced that Jonathan Brown had signed with the BC Lions.