For 6-foot-5, 280-pound San Ramon Valley offensive lineman Jackson Brown, the game of football holds a much deeper meaning than just laying down blocks for his teammates. Brown’s late father and former Bills tackle Tony Brown lost his battle with cancer when Jackson was just 10 years old.
“My dad motivates me to get better every day,” said Brown. “When he passed away, I promised him I’d do anything to get far in life, and football is what I want to do. I know he’s looking down at me smiling knowing I’ll keep doing my best to achieve my dream.”
Tony Brown was surely grinning ear to ear looking down on his son shine at National Preps Collegiate Showcase at Vacaville Christian, where Brown earned himself the co-OL MVP Award. Brown said he wanted to prove that he is “one of the best linemen in California” and display how hard he has worked during the quarantine.
“Winning the co-OL MVP meant a lot to me,” Brown said. “I’ve worked so hard this past year and everything is starting to pay off, but I can’t stop where I’m at I have to keep working.”
With a great frame and superb strength, Brown pops off the screen for any scout and has been garnering interest from multiple D1 schools. However, “Big Brown” is not just a big boy, he is also a very technical lineman and has the footwork needed to excel at the next level.
“These next years are going to be huge for me, I just need to get onto the field and show what I can do,” said Brown. “When coaches see how I can move with my feet and hands at my size, they should be real excited.”
Playing on the line doesn't often come with flashy plays and good-looking accessories. What is required for the position though is a willingness to get down and dirty in the trenches with great intensity.
“Personally I love being in the trenches because physicality is one of my better traits,” Brown said. “The intensity is quite different from any other position because you are making contact every play, all game.”
What Brown has taken more than anything from his late father was not only being the bigger man physically on the field, but also off the field with class and character as well.
Tony Brown was revered by his teammates for his play on the field, and by his community for his charitable actions once his career was over. He was in large part responsible for the success of the Future for the KIDS, an organization that served more than 125,000 underprivileged children.
“He was always the biggest guy in the room but made everyone else feel important,” Brown said about his father. “He taught me that you should never think you’re better than anyone else and treat everyone with respect-- that’s the motto I live with every day.”
Understandably, with the absence of his father, growing up and maturing has proven a bit difficult for Brown. But, with the help of Mori Su’esu’e - whose son Carson is a standout freshman quarterback at De La Salle - and those in the MLUYFI organization, Jackson has focused on the bigger picture.
“He is a big kid with a big heart,” said Su’esu’e. “Things finally clicked with him and he has changed for the better. Teammates love to be around him and he has gotten more motivated to perfect his craft and focus on school. He’s a soft-spoken kid, but he’s got a mean streak when it’s time to strap up and play.”
Jackson Brown is the story of not just a great football player, but a young man who has faced great turmoil and willed himself out a better player and person on the other side. The drive he carries that is fueled every day by the death of his father cannot be understated, and his success will be a function of that tragedy not despite it.
“It means a lot to look up to him,” said Brown. "I miss him tons and it’s tough without him, but he's following my every move and helping me every second.”
