The Two Tre's: Norwood and Brown came in together, but their college days end apart

They came in, almost literally, together: Two Tre’s. Two cornerbacks.

They go out as something else: Two teammates. Two brothers.

Tomorrow night’s Cotton Bowl Classic against Florida will be the first time Oklahoma defensive back Tre Norwood takes the field without the guy with whom he shares a unique first name, Tre Brown, standing close by.

Brown’s decision to opt out of the Cotton Bowl and begin preparations for the NFL Draft was met largely with scorn by Sooner Nation.

But Norwood expressed only love.

“I’m definitely going to miss him,” Norwood said.

They were key members of Oklahoma’s freshman class in 2017. Neither played much until late in the season, when Mike Stoops and Kerry Cooks became exasperated with enemy wideouts consistently exposing starters Jordan Thomas and Parnell Motley.

By halftime of that year’s Nov. 4 Bedlam game in Stillwater, Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph had amassed 258 passing yards and three touchdowns. Norwood came into the game for Thomas late in the second quarter and made his first tackle with the score already 38-31.

It was Norwood’s first extensive college action. He had made only four tackles on the season, but he ended up leading the Sooners that night with seven stops to go with two passes defensed. That’s still his career-high total for tackles.

Brown didn’t come in at corner until the fourth quarter, but when he did, he nearly saved the game — twice.

Imagine that.

With OSU trailing 55-52, Rudolph threw a ball over the middle to Justice Hill, but it was high and glanced off his hands. As Hill stretched for it, Will Johnson delivered a big hit as Brown came down with the interception with 1:56 to play. The turnover was negated, however, when Johnson was flagged for a personal foul for the hit.

True freshman Tre Brown with a potential game-saving INT. But will it stand. #Sooners https://t.co/EoPrjN009U
— 𝕺𝖐𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆 𝖛𝖘. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 (@soonergridiron) November 5, 2017

Brown also intercepted Rudolph on the Cowboys’ next drive to apparently seal the game again, but that was overturned as well by a holding penalty against Motley. Two plays later, Robert Barnes intercepted Rudolph in the end zone as the clock expired, and OU held on to win a 62-52 classic.

True freshman Tre Brown was robbed of two interceptions. Here was the second. #Sooners https://t.co/LOt8WITcfO
— 𝕺𝖐𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆 𝖛𝖘. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 (@soonergridiron) November 5, 2017

The Two Tre’s had quite the debut, and have had quite the career.

“We came in together,” Norwood said. “Me and him are very close. Especially throughout these four years, we've grown closer. Just, our bond together is great.”

Ideally, the Two Tre’s would have ended their college careers together as well. Instead, Norwood still has another year of eligibility in 2021 because he missed all of last season with a knee injury.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has said that Norwood’s successful return this season has been an integral part of the Sooners’ defensive resurgence in 2020. Norwood has played safety, cornerback and nickel as the OU secondary found its way early, and he’s made play after play over the second half of the season — four interceptions in five games.

Norwood went from backup to starter against Texas Tech, and he stole two passes that night in Lubbock. He added another against Baylor, then delivered the most clutch play of his career with an end zone interception — over 6-foot-5 Charlie Kolar — in the Big 12 title game. That brought his season INT total to four, which ties for the most in the Big 12 this season and ranks fifth nationally. Norwood now has five interceptions in his career.

Likewise, before walking away last week, Brown’s OU legacy only grew since his near-spectacular debut three years ago in Stillwater.

He became a full-time starter in 2018, and peaked that season by sacking Texas’ Sam Ehlinger for a game-saving safety in the Big 12 Championship Game to go with a career-high seven tackles. He also made second-team All-Big 12 as a kickoff returner by averaging 23.7 yards and led the Sooners with 12 passes defensed.

Midway through his sophomore season, Brown’s mother, Beverly Brewer, died on the Monday before he made his first start of the season at TCU. Brown finished that game with four tackles and broke up two passes.

“I couldn’t have done it,” Lincoln Riley said that day. “I mean, I don’t know where he got his strength.”

In 2019, Brown broke up 11 passes, compiled 411 yards on kickoff returns and made a touchdown-saving, season-saving tackle of Baylor speedster Chris Platt at the end of a 78-yard catch and run in the Big 12 Championship Game.

And this year, Brown made second-team All-Big 12 again by collecting a career-best three interceptions, including the game-clinching pick in the end zone in the fourth overtime against Texas, and the game-clinching pick at the goal line in the final minute against Iowa State in — what else? — the Big 12 Championship Game.

Brown — who also returned a pair of 43-yard kickoffs against the Cyclones to set up OU scores that answered Iowa State scores — said he was praying to his mom before the interception.

“During that whole series, I was just praying,” he said. “‘You’re there for me when I need it the most. If I get put in a situation, I hope to make a play.’ I made that play, and it was just surreal.”

Said Norwood, “Every time he steps in a big game, you can count on 6 to make a big play.”

Grinch said Brown’s final interception served as a “walk-off home run.” As he now begins preparing for a pro football career, it was Brown’s way of dropping the mic, of going out on top, of walking away satisfied with his effort and pleased with his outcome.

And Norwood couldn’t be happier for his fellow Tre.

“I’m just very happy for him, very excited for him,” Norwood said. “That's a lifelong dream as a college athlete, is to take that step to the next level. The opportunity has presented itself to him. Like I said, I'm just excited and happy for him.

“Of course I'm going to miss him. Wish he was out there to finish out this last game. Most importantly, I'm excited and happy for him. He deserves it all. All the perseverance and everything that he's had to go through these four years here, he deserves it all.”