Ping: Skydog

[Honolulu_Blue]

Here's the first of what I hope to be many "Carlos Brown Updates" from Up North here...

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...88/1048/SPORTS

EVER WONDER: ... what it's like to enroll early for football?

July 23, 2006


BY MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER




U-M freshman Carlos Brown posed as Brad Pitt's Achilles in "Troy" last August. Pitt is "not my favorite actor, but I loved him in that. He was rebellious, led his own people and he refused to die -- even though he did die at the end. Plus, I'm really into history." (JENNI GIRTMAN/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)



Carlos Brown just wants to fit in.


He and University of Michigan teammate Justin Boren skipped the second semester of their senior years of high school to enroll early in Ann Arbor.
When the rest of their freshman class rolls in during the next few weeks, this pair will already have a spring practice and a summer of conditioning under their belts.


"It was a pretty good advantage because I learned a lot," said Brown, who was rated the nation's No. 5 running back in this class by Rivals.com. "I got in a whole lot better shape and got accustomed to this small area we live in, Ann Arbor. I've met a lot of people."
Brown explained his situation while standing in Michigan Stadium on a spectacular June day, far from the chill he faced arriving in January.
"I didn't know a lot of people," he said of his arrival. "The weather wasn't that bad -- not as bad as I thought it would be. The biggest thing is the freedom and you make all your own decisions, basically. It's not that bad, you just have to make priorities."


It also didn't take him long to figure out his hometown of Franklin, Ga., was a bit different than Ann Arbor.


"The biggest transition?" Brown said. "It seems like everything happens fast up here. Everything's faster."


Part of being so highly rated are the expectations. Brown already generated buzz in spring practice, where coach Lloyd Carr and other players were impressed with his speed. But, as of that June day, he had not taken on U-M's resident speed demon, Morgan Trent, in a footrace.
Why? "I don't know, ask him," Trent said, smiling.


Brown is already getting some hype on the Internet. Some message boards are saying he's the sprinter threat that could change the U-M backfield. It's an experience he calls "a little weird."


By enrolling early, he probably improved his chance to play this fall. When other freshmen are adjusting this fall, he'll have a feel for the coaches and his teammates.


"No doubt because he's been through and knows the conditioning he went through prior to spring ball," Carr said. "Certainly, the heat he's used to. But when they run seven-on-seven (summer drills), he's going to know what the formations are and going to know what the plays are. He's far ahead of where he would be if he just walked in here."

[Ben E Lou]

Dadgum scallywag.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Dadgum scallywag.

If this is the type of the response I get from posting "Carlos Brown Updates", I'm going to try and start doing sthem daily.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Hanahan, SC ???

[Ben E Lou]

Don't you read the IHOF boards?

[Passacaglia]

Dude is going to get buried in the Wolverine depth chart. At least for a year or two.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Dude is going to get buried in the Wolverine depth chart. At least for a year or two.

Dude's been converted to cornerback and may or may not be transferring...

http://info.detnews.com/bigtenblog/index.cfm

Angelique Chengelis
Position group thin
Michigan tailback Kevin Grady has torn an anterior cruciate ligament (knee), a source close to the program confirmed Thursday evening. He indicated it was unclear how long the recovery would take, but it seems unlikely Grady will return for the fall season and will take a redshirt. Mike Hart, who missed spring practice after undergoing minor arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder for an injury suffered in the Rose Bowl, returns as the leading tailback, and Brandon Minor will be the backup. The source also said rampant rumors of Carlos Brown's transfer are not true. Well, not exactly. Brown, who moved this spring from tailback to cornerback, has apparently been contemplating whether to leave the Wolverines, and they will know more about his status by Saturday. Michigan's final spring practice is Saturday.

[digamma]

I've heard he is going to South Carolina, with Ga Tech being an outside possibility.

[Passacaglia]

According to this, http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...n/michigan.htm, he's back at RB.

Carlos Brown, who switched from running back to defensive back early in spring camp, moved back to running back.


Part of the reason Brown switched back was the torn ACL suffered by key backup Kevin Grady. Without Grady, Michigan is without a proven backup for Mike Hart, who has a history of his own injury problems.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Alright, Carlos! Let's make the most of it you, dadgum scallywag.

[Passacaglia]

Too bad about Kevin Grady, though. He went to the same high school as me, set a bunch of state records there, and was really looking like he could hit huge at U of M. Then Hart came out of nowhere, he got fumblitis, and with this injury, it looks like he won't really have much of a career as a Wolverine.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Too bad about Kevin Grady, though. He went to the same high school as me, set a bunch of state records there, and was really looking like he could hit huge at U of M. Then Hart came out of nowhere, he got fumblitis, and with this injury, it looks like he won't really have much of a career as a Wolverine.

I agree. I always liked Grady. It's possible he'll have a shot next year, post-Hart, but probably unlikely.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Carlos Brown update:

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/inde...certain_f.html

Thin at running back

Backup running back Brandon Minor hurt his left foot on the fourth play of the third quarter, thrusting third-stinger Carlos Brown into his most extended action at Michigan.

Minor writhed in pain on the sideline, before he was carted off just before the end of the third quarter. After the game, Minor's left foot was in a plastic cast and he had crutches as he was driven away from the locker room.

Carr refused comment on Minor's status.

That left Brown, who entered the game with 75 rushing yards in his career, as the team's only healthy scholarship running back.

The sophomore took advantage, carrying 13 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns, including a 29-yard scoring run.

"He ran like he did the first spring he was here," Carr said. "He showed some flashes of what he can do."

Brown has had a turbulent year, with an aborted switch to cornerback in the spring and a broken hand that limited him last month.

"Carlos, the last two weeks of practice, has really been getting better," DeBord said. "It was really great for him to get game experience so he could show it."