Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Brown stole headlines one fateful afternoon in December with two touchdown returns in the span of five minutes. Granted, that came against the 2012 Jacksonville Jaguars so maybe it should be stricken from league records, but it still highlighted what had become a quietly promising rookie season for the Tennessee Titans outside linebacker.
The 2012 second-round pick has his outside backer spot sowed up heading into Titans training camp; this after starting 13 games to finish ranked 15th out of 43 qualifying linebackers in Pro Football Focus’ 4-3 outside backer rankings, and Brown is showing no signs of regression in training camp.
Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt noted Brown’s play in a June 18 training camp report in The Tennessean.
“The defense got the best of the offense in a two-minute drill with the starters, forcing a punt,” wrote Wyatt. “Later in a red-zone drill, linebackers coach Chet Parlavecchio praised second-year pro Zach Brown for being in the right position on a fourth-down play that ended a series.”
It’s hard not to expect a leap in 2013 after learning that Brown apparently played through 2012 with a serious shoulder injury that he’s now recovered from.
“It was messed up, so I just played through the whole season with a brace,” Brown said, via The Tennessean. “I was kind of using my right arm (to compensate) for my left because I really couldn’t extend it all that much. I still felt like it was a good season and I’m hoping to do better this year now that I can use it.”
Thomas Emerick is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasEmerick, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
