The unlikely nose guard

By Brian Hunsicker

Published: August 27, 2008

Tyler Brown is average height. Sleek-looking. His cut isn’t like those of most defensive linemen, except for some speed-rushing defensive ends.

But right over the center?

Brown doesn’t look like a nose guard, but it’s a place that fits his mindset perfectly.

“My first year as a sophomore, it was hard. You get intimidated,” Brown said. “It’s like you’ve got to have heart. And your hands have to be quicker than [the opposing linemen].

“[Now] I don’t get intimidated, no matter how big they are. The bigger they are, the slower they are, that’s how I see it.”

Brown has the quickness to use as an advantage. He has a goal of registering 20 sacks this season (he said he had 17 last season) and
120 tackles, also not far off of last year’s totals.

The quickness plays into his tackles stats too; Brown said that most of his tackles in 2007 were downfield, after the play had passed the line of scrimmage.

“I think our defense is real good, like if we all run to the ball — all 11 heads — we’ll be good,” Brown said.

Though he’d like to play college football, he realizes that it probably won’t be on the defensive line; he said that coaches have told him this as well.

Brown said they envision him as a safety, using that speed to chase down ballcarriers before they get past him. But such a move would require a serious re-thinking of responsibility. Brown’s hand wouldn’t be on the ground, he’d be 15 yards or so from the line of scrimmage and have to diagnose plays as they’re happening.

But he says he has trainers in his native Bronx who are working with him to improve speed and coverage ability.

“We’ll see how it happens, I guess,” he said.