Freshman Receiver Sam Brown is off to a Hot Start
West Virginia University head coach Neal Brown made it a point last season that if you don’t practice, you don’t play. He made that point clear sitting starting offensive lineman Mike Brown against NC State last year because he missed practice leading up to the game due to an illness.
In the season opener on Saturday against Eastern Kentucky, true freshman wide receiver Sam Brown got the start over last seasons team-leading receiver Sam James.
Brown took the field for the first two offensive series before James came off the bench and led the team in receiving with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.
“I just thought he deserved the opportunity,’ said Neal Brown. “He’d been productive in camp, and I wanted to make a point.”
He later elaborated on the decision. “Sam (James) missed some practice time. He had a little bit of injury there – he missed some practice time. So, just felt like the people that had practiced – Sam Brown had been out there every day during fall camp.”
The first pass of the game went to the freshman for eight yards as the Mountaineers went on to punch the ball into the endzone on their first drive of the game. Then on the second offensive series, Brown again hauled in an eight-yard reception and later in the drive, snagging another for 22 yards setting up West Virginia first and goal from the 10.
WVU WR Sam Brown corrals the pass from QB Jarret Doege with an Eastern Kentucky defender draped all over him.
Tim Curlee - WVU Football
Brown finished the afternoon with four receptions for 43 yards.
“He played better than I thought he would really,” said Neal Brown. “He was a little bit up and down last week.”
“I always tell our guys, ‘all preparation does is give you an opportunity. If you don’t prepare, you have no opportunity, but you still have to perform,’” explained Brown. “Different people react different ways when they’re under the limelight or when it's game day, however you want to say it, and some people just rise to the occasion and that’s what he did.
“He was up and down practice-wise last week -wasn’t overly consistent. Now, he did everything we’d asked him to do and he’d showed some flashes in scrimmages and things like that but really was kind of unsure of how he was going to play – confident in his abilities but just unsure – hadn’t been in a game situation with him and he goes out and he makes two difficult catches in the first two series. I’m excited about him. I really am.”
Adding, “That young group of wideouts that we have, there is a lot of potential there and there is a lot of competition. If we can mirror the competition in that room across our whole team, and that’s our goal in recruiting, then we’ll be in a good situation.”
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the page's top righthand corner. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @WVUonSI
Twitter - @SI_WVU and Christopher Hall @WVHallBilly