Heisman Trophy Winner
HIS PURPOSE IS ALL-PURPOSE By Kurt Mattison BFS Rep and Staff Writer One opposing coach commented, “He's the best all-around player in the country.” Another said, “We knew what was coming and we couldn't do anything about it.” Another said, “We just saw too much of him today. He’s a great one.” His own coach, Lou Holtz of Notre Dame, says, “It’s scary to think of the number of ways he can affect a game.” Scary? Couldn't do anything about it? Saw too much of him? At Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Tim Brown was the sports editor of the school paper and vice-president of his class. As a freshman he saw playing time every weekend on the football field — as a drummer in the marching band!
“My mom didn’t want me to play football,” explains Tim, “she always wanted me to be in the band. Plus, I was really small, and she never thought I'd be big enough.” But before graduating from high school in 1984, Timothy Donell Brown was a prep All-American, a Top 100 incoming freshman, All- Metro and a Dallas All-Star. By then he had established himself as an all-around athlete of rare quality. In football he played running back, wide receiver, wingback, free safety, and quarterback. He amassed over 4,000 all-purpose yards in 3 seasons on teams that produced only 4 wins! Eight of his 25 touchdowns were on kick returns, and he scored on every 12th carry.
In basketball, his favorite sport, he was All District. “I grew up thinking | would be a basketball player,” Tim remembers, “I never dreamed | would ever play football, because | was so small and thin. | still love to play basketball though, whenever | get a chance.” In track at Woodrow Wilson, he long-jumped over 24’3” and ran at 46.9 400 meters. Today, as a sleak and strong 6’0”, 195-pound receiver/ball carrier/kick returner, Tim is the nation’s best “all-purpose”
Mr. All Purpose Tim Brown took a giant step toward his Heisman Trophy with a 275 yard performance (including 2 punt returns for TD’s!) against Big Ten Champ Michigan State in September. athlete in college football and was a pre-season favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. As a junior All-American flanker in 1986, Tim set a Notre Dame record with 1,937 all-purpose yards (910 receiving, 254 rushing, 698 returning kick-offs, and 75 on only 2 punt returns). After the ‘86 season Tim held 10 school records and is close to breaking several others this season. He averaged 176 yards per game last season, and 212 in his last 6 “There Were Alot of Games Where Tim Earned An Extra Dessert!”
Lou Holtz, Irish FB Coach games. And this was against one of the toughest schedules in’ college football!
It might be easy to say, “This guy’s too good to be true,”
And what about the 1987 season? Before the season began, right? So I asked a few of the people who work closest to Tim, Tim Brown stated, “Personally, | just want to play the best football I can play and be satisfied with my effort.” He admits what impresses them about him, other than his athletic abilities? Scott Raridon, his strength coach, comments, “Tim he placed high expectations on himself last season, “That was came back this year in great shape.” Coach Raridon notes that my problem at the beginning of last year — I was trying to live Tim’s main concern is the team’s success, “I think he really does up to everyone else’s expectations for myself.
Once I stopped care more about the team than his own personal success.” thinking about living up to expectations, my game really Receivers coach Pete Cordelli admires Tim’s work habits improved. If | don’t score a single touchdown all year, I’m not most. “He wants to be the best, and he always works hard to be going to worry about it, as long as I feel I've played the best | the best, always going full strength. It’s the fact that he goes can play.”
With a schedule that includes 12 months of football and track, Tim still knows the value of intense strength training. full strength during the week that enables him to go full strength on Saturdays and do the things that he does.” and conditioning to keep this performance at a peak level. “He reported tocamp in excellent condition,” relates Coach Raridon.
Tim is rare in another regard. He is a two-sport athlete, “He has improved his physical strength since winter, despite something unusual at the division I-A level. Though football is participating in track and spring football. He has run the 40 in number one in his athletic life right now, his coaches have 4.31, bench pressed 290, and has a vertical jump of 31”.” made it possible for him to compete in track also, something he Of course, I had to ask the inevitable question, “What about excels in despite limited participation. Last spring he practiced the Heisman Trophy?”
It was September and I was certain it football and track, and competed in the indoor and outdoor had to be on his mind, and I was right. But he has an attitude seasons, setting school records in the 60 (6.20) and 300 (30.06). that seems different than most athletes who are thrust into He has also set several meet records in both events. His track fame and possible fortune at a young age. “It’s hard not to think coach, Joe Piane, says of Tim, “I’ve seen him do some amazing, things in track and yet, he has barely scratched the surface asa don't. It’s not going to change my life one way or the other, at sprinter. If he ever decided to devote all his time to track, it’s about it,”
confesses Tim, “But ifI win it, I win it. If | don’t, | tough to imagine how good he might become.” Tim would least I don’t believe it will. I'm honored just have my name mentioned for the Heisman. It’s a credit to my teammates and recommend the combination of track and football, “Coming, my coaches that I’m even being considered for the award.” out of the blocks is alot like coming out of my stance at flanker.
Tim obviously enjoys playing football. “I like running with It helps my explosion, and when I want to go deep on someone, the ball more than anything. It’s exciting to me to get the ball in it helps me to shift gears.”
Despite all this time spent in uniform and practice gear for most of the year, Tim stil] knows the value of strength training my hands in the open field.” Considering that he averages 14.8 yards every time he gets the ball in his hands, it’s under- FINAL 1987 STATS Heisman Votes Tim Brown — Notre Dame: 1442 Don McPherson — Syracuse: 831 Gordon Lockbaum — Holy Cross: 657 Passes Caught: 39 Kick Return Yards: 797 Yards Rushing: 142 All Purpose Total: 1748 Tim's 4.37 speed and participation in Track have helped him become the focus of every defense he plays against. standable why his teammates, coaches, and fans get excited too!
His biggest thrill came in the final game of the season in ‘86 against UCLA. Trailing by 2 points with only seconds left, Tim begin to describe.” Being the Sth of 6 children of Eugene and Josephine Brown has undoubtedly helped develop him humble went back to receive what was only the second punt of his his manner. “Having their support and love means so much to me. They're very special people.” One thing Tim misses alot career. “I was nervous,” Tim understated. “But once I caught about being so far from home is playing the bass drums for his the ball, the rest came easy. | knew I could run with it, ] was just church choir back in Dallas.
Coach Cordelli observes, “Tim's a very religious person. He cares alot about other people. He's very close to his family, very family oriented.” But Tim worried about catching it.” And he may have entertained briefly the memory of his first kick return his freshman year, when he fumbled the opening kickoff over to Purdue, which turned into the field goal that ended up being the margin of victory for them. But this one had a different ending. He ran wouldn’t think of going anywhere else but Notre Dame, a school he chose over SMU at the last second at the urging of his brother, who was not happy with the illegal “extras”
that through and around the UCLA kickoff team for a 56 yard were promised him by some alumni, the type of violations that return that lead to the game winning 19 yard field goal by John eventually cost SMU its entire football program. “I came here because of the academic opportunity and the football,” says the Carney. Tim gained 254 all-purpose yards that day.
Tim believes his prowess for returning kickoffs is due in large part to his peripheral vision, “If you can’t see that guy sociology major. “You can’t get a better combination anywhere in the country.” coming at you from the side, you're going to get nailed. Alot of And what about life after Notre Dame and the Heisman times I'll be running and see someone coming at me from either side, and I'll just turn and go right at him, and he'll Trophy? “I'd like to play pro football for a couple years, maybe as many as four or five years. After that, | just want to go back freeze.” Not surprisingly, he explains another major factor in to Dallas and work there.
| really like Dallas, and that’s where his success, “People should realize that I’ve got the easy job; it’s the other players who deserve most of the credit. They make it I'd like to settle down eventually.” The possibility of doing both possible.” in Dallas must be music to Tom Landry’s ears! The fighting Irish have had a great season. Describing Tims Tim knows where much of the credit for his success goes. “If accomplishments this season, Coach Lou Holtz commented, it wasn’t for my family. 1 don’t know where I'd be today.
“there were alot of games where Tim earned an extra dessert.” Now, Tim Brown has iced these desserts with his Heisman They’ve done an awful lot for me, much more than I can ever 10 Trophy.
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From BFS Magazine — January/February 1988. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
