Q&A: Nathan Brown, QB, Central Arkansas

You’re a week removed from the NFL Combine. I think most would agree that you increased your stock from the Combine to the Senior Bowl. What was you feeling after leaving the Combine? Did you feel you helped yourself?

Brown: I did for the most part, and in the events that I did. By participating in the full combine and doing all the workouts, I think I did nothing but help myself. The combination of getting to compare yourself to the best athletes that this draft has to offer and the preparation put into the Combine—I think I came out with nothing but positive results. I threw well, had above average running times, jumped well and the whole interview process was great for me. So coming out of the Combine, I’m very positive and for the most part, I’ve gotten really positive feedback.

You mentioned the interview process-can you share how that interview process goes?

Brown: It’s something that anybody who’s going to invest a lot of money into you is going to want to know you in every way they can. First and foremost they want to know your football knowledge. They want to know-especially being in the position that I am, playing quarterback-how much you know, how much you put into the position and the knowledge of football and the path. They are going to see what type of X’s and O’s knowledge you have, get you on the board. And they're going to drill you and that’s their job. If they're going to put their franchise and their teams in the hands of a 22-year-old kid coming out of college, they're going to get to know what kind of knowledge you have. They're also going to get to know your personal life as well. It’s definitely a combination of every area of your life.

Do they get real personal with that stuff? How deep did they go with you...did they ask anything off the wall?

Brown: For the most part they do. They will go as deep as you take them. For me personally, I’ve been fortunate to have made good decisions in my life. I don’t have any police record so it wasn’t to bad for me. But I have heard some horror stories where some guys have come back and gotten drilled. They're going to see if you learned from your mistakes, if there are any red flags. Anytime they're going to put this kind of effort and emphasis into a draft pick, they are basically going to try and find out every aspect of your life.

How long do those interviews usually last?

Brown: It all depends. If it’s a formal interview they will give you 15 minutes. That’s a short amount of time to get a lot of information in. So it's a very intense 15 minutes for the athlete, coaches, front office people and the team. If you're doing a informal meeting with a position coach, the meetings can last from 15 minutes to a half hour. Fortunately for me, I got to go to the Senior Bowl and got a lot of interviews in there. I’ve definitely gotten to know a lot of coaches and personnel people throughout all the teams. It’s been an awesome experience for me as a football player.

You mentioned coaches-how is it having (Former NFL QB) Rob Johnson as a coach?

Brown: First and foremost, Bob Johnson (Head Coach and Father of Rob) has been doing this for so long. He’s got an endless sheet of paper of great quarterbacks that he’s tutored and pushed along and he's had a lot of NFL success. The addition of Rob Johnson, his son, helping us out everyday brings a whole different aspect to the coaching. He spent 10 or 11 years in the NFL playing quarterback and did a great job. He lets us know...he gives us a little breath on what the real NFL is like and what it's going to be like being a NFL quarterback. What a week is going to be like and the grind...it’s something you have to be ready for, both physically and mentally. I've got nothing but good things to say about Coach Johnson and Rob.

We spoke earlier and I mentioned that I think you would be at least a second round pick if you were four inches taller. Do you feel the same about that?

Brown: Yeah, I mean there is no doubt that it (my height) is going to be a hot issue and be a factor on draft day. But like I told you-if you look up and down NFL rosters, plenty of names come up that don’t have the Peyton Manning frame or the Tom Brady frame, the 6’5 or 6’4 numbers. But you've got guys like Drew Brees, for instance, who I mentioned. He’s a 6-foot guy that is a perennial pro bowler, putting up huge numbers. You've got guys like Tony Romo, who’s right at 6’2. You look up and down those NFL rosters and you'll find a lot of successful quarterbacks that are on the shorter end of what NFL teams want. Do I wish I had the extra height? Of course. Anybody would, but I can’t do anything about it . I’ve tried stretching every way I can, but it doesn’t work (laughs). Hopefully a team will take a chance on me and see that I've had a lot of success and really, the height up to this point in my career has never been a issue. I’ve always been able to find throwing lanes and haven't had much trouble with batted balls. Hopefully, somebody will see a lot of film on me, see it hasn’t been a issue, and give me a chance in the early part of the draft.

Ryan Leaf had the pro typical size and we all know how that turned out.

Brown: (Laughs) Yeah, you see it both ways. You've got guys like that and guys that are 6 feet tall and make the most of it. I think you've got to look more into the person and the full body of work. Look at what they have accomplished up to this point. And every team has their different preferences so it’s all in one team falling in love with you and giving you the opportunity of a lifetime.

A lot of people mention that your game is similar to that of Tony Romo’s. Do you agree with those comparisons?

Brown: I do. The first thing that comes to mind is that we are both small school guys coming from the I-AA level. We both had a lot of success in college, and the next thing that comes to mind is that he’s a playmaker. He goes out every Sunday for Dallas and makes plays out of nothing and that’s what I like about him-he can use his feet to extend a play and I feel like I've got that ability. He can also throw from a lot of different angles, has a quick release, and gets the ball out fast to his receivers. You can’t ask for anything more than that as a NFL team, for your QB to get the ball to its playmakers as fast as possible. I think Tony Romo does a great job at that, and I feel like I can do that too. He’s just a competitor and goes out every week and does whatever it takes to win. If I could be half as successful as Tony Romo and get the opportunity he has, then I’ll be ecstatic about my situation.

Looking forward, your Pro Day is on March 11th, is there anything you feel you didn’t prove at the Senior Bowl or Combine that you feel you need to show on your Pro Day? Maybe one thing to showcase that might help your draft stock?

Brown: I was fortunate enough at the Combine to throw really well. I threw with the first group at the Combine. I felt like I came out of that group in pretty good shape. Obviously I’m not a talent evaluator, but I felt like I held my own with everyone that was in that group. So I think the main thing I want to do on my Pro Day is have a good showing for teams that are interested in me...just have another great day throwing. As a quarterback, that’s what we do and what I love to do is toss that football around and that’s what I’m going to do on March 11th. Go out have some fun and show scouts, evaluators, or whoever shows up at Central Arkansas that that’s what I am. I throw the football with a smile on my face and put it where it needs to be. Hopefully they will see that and I'll have two good throwing performances in a row and open some eyes.

Speaking of the Combine and your group, were there any jokesters, anyone that was the life of the party in that group?

Brown: (Laughs) Ahh. There weren’t too many big jokesters. We had a good group of guys. Everybody enjoyed being around each other. It’s always fun when you can hang out with people that play the same position as you. You can bounce information off of each other. When you come back after making a bad throw, they can show you some pointers or give you a tip. It’s a great opportunity and when you get to this point and this level of football, it’s all about competition. So we went out had fun and I got to know a lot of guys I didn’t know before and just competed. That’s what the NFL is all about-competition.

Speaking about competition. Who are some of the tougher opponents you remember facing in college?

Brown: This year we played Tulsa. We played them tough for three and a half quarters and had a really good defense in some areas. Obviously they had one of the top offenses in the nation. I played against Ladarius Webb from Nicholls State and he’s going to be a guy who’s going to be around the ball no matter if it’s a run or a pass play. The Southland Conference is a great conference. We put out top flight athletes every year into the draft. It’s a conference that is competitive no matter what year it is. It’s hard to find a stand out team because there are so many athletes in the southern part of the United States and they have to go somewhere. The SEC and the Big 12 can’t get all these guys. So the Southland Conference is full of athletes and it’s been a great experience to play in this conference.

While at Central Arkansas did your teammates give you a nickname?

Brown: I’ve gotten a lot of nicknames over the years. They’ve called me Brownie, Gunslinger...that’s just two off the top of my head.

Would you hold a tarantula in your hand?

Brown: Yeah, for the right amount of money. (laughs)

Would you rather be a male runway model or the lead singer in a boy band.

Brown: I’d pick lead singer of a boy band.

Photo Credit: Southland Conference