Total blue sports is a website that does a lot about BYU athletics. This a picture from their website that went along with an article they wrote about Braden. Braden will be number 89 this year. It works out perfectly because his favorite number is 8, and mine is 9. When he picked out his number he called me and said it is perfect because it is our favorite numbers together! That may have not been the true motivating factor behind picking the number, but I like to think it is :) He is currently the starting fullback going into Spring ball as well as the third tight end behind Dennis Pitta and Andrew George. I had to post the article because I am so proud of him.
He’s 6 feet 6 inches, 260 pounds and runs very well for his size, insomuch that he has caught a few passes downfield in the early days of spring camp. This freshman tight end has a lot of upside to his abilities, and they’ll be put to good use at multiple positions in the Cougar offense in the near future.
What makes tight end Braden Brown intriguing is the combination of size and athleticism that he possesses. It’s not that common that an offense has an athlete his size catching passes downfield. However, Brown has put his size and athleticism to good use. He credits much of his early success to two tight ends already in the program.
“Dennis [Pitta] and Andrew [George] are great guys and have always been very helpful since first day I got here,” said Brown. “If I ever have any questions they’ll help me, which is surprising. You always have that idea that at the college level the veteran guys always pick on the rookies, but those guys are always there to help me.” Although Brown receives help from those players, he also receives a bit of good-natured ribbing from time to time.
“Yeah, [Pitta will] hold up his arm and say, ‘See this? This is a wing and you’re under it,’” said Brown with a laugh. “We actually became really close friends and it’s been really helpful playing with those guys because they’re really great tight ends.” Brown shared some of the things that he’s learned from Pitta and George, whether by talking with them or studying their film.
“I’ve gained a lot of knowledge just listening to those guys as far as going up to the line for the pre-snap reads of what the defense is doing,” Brown said. “Also, [I’ve learned] how to adjust your route based on that and perfecting route running and perfecting the plays. It’s really good to be able to go into the film room and watch these guys. When I go into the film room I watch what these guys did from last year and try to mimic what they do on the football field, so it’s been really helpful to have them ahead of me.” On top of learning the tight end position, Brown has been selected by the coaching staff to also learn the fullback position.
The extra responsibilities don’t bother Brown in the least bit. “I’ve also been practicing at the fullback position a lot,” Brown said. “It’s been a lot of fun and the first time I actually played fullback was on the scout team last fall. I really liked it because you get to run full speed and light dudes up, so it’s been really fun playing the fullback position. I was told that I’m the number-one guy at fullback when the position is needed, so it’s been fun getting some extra film time in learning two positions at once.” Brown admits it’s been tough putting in the extra time learning a second position within the offense. “Yeah, it’s been kind of tough because we’ve made some changes to the regular offense in regards to the tight end stuff,” said Brown. “They are things I can’t really talk about but I’ll go to the line and go, ‘Oh geez, what did I do,’ and then it will all of a sudden click. So it’s been interesting learning on the fly like that, but we’ve got guys like Bryan Kariya and Coach Reynolds who have been very helpful to me with learning what I need to know.”
With no Fui Vakapuna or Manase Tonga to help him better understand the rigors of the fullback position, Brown has learned from other sources. “I’ve been learning from Bryan Kariya and he’s helped me out a lot,” Brown said. “I’ve also been learning from Kelly Bills, who is working as a graduate assistant. He’s played at that position and he’s helped me out a lot, and so has Coach Reynolds. Those guys have helped me to keep my head on straight because I just want to go out there and hit people, but they help me to stay focused and not mess up.” Considering his size, it’s easy to understand why Brown likes to go out and be physical with defenders. It’s an aspect of the game he looks forward to.
“I’m a big basketball player and I always talked about how frustrating basketball can be because you can’t hit people,” said Brown. “When you play on the football field you can come out and knock someone in the mouth and that’s perfectly fine. That’s kind of the mentality that I’ve always had, just being the tough-nose guy that lays the wood on people. That’s what I try to bring to the field every day: intensity and physical play
Braden invited me to go to his football banquet with him. I was so happy I got to go because he got the award for Best Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year. He is doing an amazing job. I get to go to his practices, and I absolutely love watching him play. Go Cougars!
Thanksgiving dinner. Braden was gone the whole entire day of my birthday because he was with the team. The things I do as the wife of a football player. But, we pretended Thanksgiving was my birthday dinner. It was fabulous being with the whole entire family.
Amy and her family came and spent Thanksgiving with us this year. It was so much fun having the whole family together, I absolutely love when Amy and her family are in town. If only we could all live in the same state. This is the littlest of Amy's little girls, Savvy. How stinkin' cute is she?! I seriously cannot get enough of this face!!
Here is a quick recap of the last few months. Above is a picture of Braden and I on the BYU field after the big win over Utah. It was so much fun watching Braden play and was so exciting to get a win over the Utes!
B is number 75. He is kind of small, huh? :) He is such a stud, I can't wait to continue to watch him play the next few years!
I turned twenty on November 27th and this was my gift from Braden. It is exactly what I wanted, and was such a surprise!
I came home to this on the door for my birthday. Braden had posted twenty different things around the house. He is such a keeper. I couldn't stop smiling.
Spencer and Brittany got ENGAGED today. They are going to be getting married in Colorado in February. We could not be more excited. She is so cute and they are just perfect for each other. Three weddings in one year. That has got to me some kind of record. My mom said, "Bless my heart, and bless dad's bank account". Couldn't have said it better :)
We went to a Christmas party the other night with some of Braden's high school friends. It was so much fun, and Braden and I got to wear some pretty sweet sweaters. Please, try not to be jealous.
