Brown:
Ready For Big Time
By BOB KENT - April 20, 2002
Sheldon Brown isn't just happy to be an Eagle. He wants to
be a great Eagle. "I'm coming in with open arms. I'm
going to bust my hump on special teams and do whatever it
takes. I'm just that type of a guy," said Brown, the
59th selection in Saturday's draft and the third for the Eagles.
"People don't really know a lot about me because I
played at South Carolina and, of course, we strugged in the
beginning of the year. That's why I have a lot to prove. A
lot of people are still wondering why Philadelphia believes
in me, but I'm glad the organization does and I'm coming in
and I'm going to play hard."
At 5-foot-9, Brown is relatively short for a cornerback.
He also played an unconventional style of pass coverage while
at South Carolina. However, Brown used pro-style techniques
at the Senior Bowl, and the Eagles were impressed with what
they saw.
“Sheldon was a little bit of a unique situation at South
Carolina,” said Reid. “But we saw him play bump
and run and do a little bit of the back-pedal technique that
you see in the NFL at the Senior Bowl.”
A semifinalist for the nation's Jim Thorpe Award, presented
to the collegiate ranks best defensive back, had 3 interceptions
last season and 10 in his college career. He started all 4
years at South Carolina, and says he's been compared in style
with the great Eric Allen.
"I played safety my sophomore season, so I can be a
physical guy," he said. "It all depends on what
they need me to do. I know the Eagles like to get after teams
and they're a great defense."
Brown said he was looking forward to spending time with former
South Carolina great Duce Staley, and hopes Staley will help
ease the transition from a small town to the big city of Philadelphia.
Brown said his hometown of Fort Lawn, S.C. "doesn't
have any stoplights" and he'll soon be in the bright
lights of Philly.
"I'm excited," he said. "I feel great about
this opportunity."
