Matt Brown (kick returner) facts for kids
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Brown with Temple in 2012
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| Position: | Kick returner |
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| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 28, 1989 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight: | 169 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Peddie School |
| College: | Temple |
| Undrafted: | 2013 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at CFL.ca (archive) | |
Matthew Warren Brown (born July 28, 1989) is a former American football player. He was known for being a great kick returner. This means he was good at catching the ball after a kickoff and running it back down the field.
Matt signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. He played college football for Temple University. He also played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Tri-Cities Fever in the Indoor Football League (IFL). With the Roughriders, he helped his team win the 101st Grey Cup championship in 2013.
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Early Life and School Days
Matt Brown grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Warren, is a lawyer, and his mother, Lynette, is a beautician. Matt played baseball and football in youth leagues. Even though he was small, he was very good at both sports.
Matt spent his summers at a private school called Cushing Academy in Massachusetts. His sister Candice also went there.
Matt first went to Baltimore City College. Then he attended Cardinal Gibbons School in his hometown. The next year, he moved to Peddie School, a private boarding school in New Jersey. He finished high school at Peddie in 2008.
Matt didn't have any offers for college football scholarships. So, he went to Milford Academy in New York. Famous NFL players like LeSean McCoy had also played there. At Milford, Matt set a school record. He scored nine kickoff-return touchdowns in just 12 games.
College Football Career
Matt Brown played college football for the Temple Owls. He was a special teams player, meaning he returned punts and kickoffs. He also played as a wide receiver. For his first three years, he was a back-up running back.
Because Matt was only 5 feet, 5 inches tall, no big colleges were interested in him. At Temple, he started as a walk-on. This means he joined the team without a scholarship. He played his first year without any financial help for school.
Matt returned 83 kick-offs for Temple. He gained 2,068 yards and scored two touchdowns. On average, he ran the ball 24.9 yards per return. He also returned 45 punts for 403 yards.
One of Matt's best games was in his second year against Army. He carried the ball 28 times. He gained 226 yards and scored 4 touchdowns in that game.
Senior Year Success (2012)
In his senior year (2012), Matt was named the Big East Conference's special teams player of the year. This was a big honor! He was also chosen for the 2012 All-Big East First-team.
ESPN.com and CBSSports.com also named him to their All-Big East teams. He was recognized as a top kickoff returner.
Professional Football Career
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In the spring of 2013, Matt tried out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. He didn't hear back from either team at first. He was about to sign a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Canada. But he couldn't go to Canada because his passport had expired.
Soon after, the Buccaneers called him. On May 28, 2013, he signed a three-year deal with them. However, he was released by the Buccaneers on July 23, 2013.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
On August 5, 2013, Matt signed with the Roughriders. On November 24, 2013, the Roughriders played against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They won the game 45-23, winning the 101st Grey Cup championship!
Matt stayed on the Roughriders team until June 7, 2014. However, he did not play in any games for them.
