Honolulu_Blue
07-23-2006, 11:23 AM
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/article?AID=/20060723/SPORTS06/607230688/1048/SPORTS
EVER WONDER: ... what it's like to enroll early for football?
July 23, 2006
BY MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
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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)
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<!-- BODY TEXT --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->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."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/SPORTS06/607230688/1048/SPORTS
EVER WONDER: ... what it's like to enroll early for football?
July 23, 2006
BY MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
<!-- SIDEBAR PHOTOS AND FACT BOXES --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><!--MAIN PHOTO-->http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20060723&Category=SPORTS06&ArtNo=607230688&Ref=AR&Profile=1048&MaxW=233&Border=1
http://www.freep.com/graphics/img_icon_zoom.gif (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:NewWindow%28600,600,%27/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/misc/photo_zoom.pbs&IDato=20060723&IKategori=SPORTS06&ID=607230688%27%29;)
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)
<!--THEME LINKS--><!--RELATED ARTICLE LINKS--><!--RELATED EXTERNAL LINKS--><!--PHOTO GALLERY LINKS--><!--MAIN FACTS BOX--><!--ADDITIONAL FACTS-->
<!-- BODY TEXT --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->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."