Brown celebrates All-American honor
The South Florida swing of the U.S. Army All-American selection tour wrapped up on Thursday when Miami Norland inside linebacker Keith Brown received his jersey. The Rivals250 linebacker still remembers when he first found out he was going to be invited to San Antonio in early January.
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"I was excited," Brown said. "Growing up I have always watched the game. I remember watching Ndamukong Suh in the game. I remember some of the great players that have played in it, so I was very excited."
Brown continues a long legacy of South Florida standouts that have been a part of the East team for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
"A lot of great players from down here have been a part of this game,"
Brown said. "It was a goal of mine to be a part of this game. So I am very proud of myself. I know I have made my parents very proud. It is a goal that I accomplished and I am very proud of that."
When he arrived at the event, Brown said he is approaching it as a business trip and that he has something to prove on the field.
"I just want to establish myself as one of the nation's best players,"
Brown said. "I want to compete and show the kind of player that I am.
"I just want to make a name for myself for college before my freshman year."
While he is looking forward to a week of practice against his East teammates, he said there is one particular running back for the West that he is looking forward to squaring off against in the game.
"I am looking forward to facing 'Avatar' from the West," Brown said.
"We were in Oregon with him (at The Opening) and we called him Avatar. He is from Texas, committed to Texas A&M, his name is Trey
(Trey Williams) and I am looking forward to playing against him."
The game may also see Brown make an announcement on where he will play college football. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker is a soft commitment to the Miami Hurricanes but is using all five of his official visits and taking a look at other suitors.
"I have taken visits to South Florida, Clemson and Purdue," Brown said. "I enjoyed myself. I am just trying to find a place where I know I fit in and I am wanted."
He will take his fourth official visit this weekend when he travels to a Big Ten school.
"I am excited about my visit this weekend, I am going to Illinois,"
Brown said. "I want to see what they are about."
As for his fifth and final official visit, it is destined to be to an SEC school.
At this point, Brown isn't working with a specific timeframe to make a final decision.
"I won't know until I take all of my visits," Brown said. "That probably won't be until the first or second week in December."
As for how likely it is he remains committed to the hometown Hurricanes, Brown said it isn't a sure thing.
"It is somewhere in-between," Brown said. "If I see something better, then I won't be going to Miami. I just have to finish out the process and figure things out."
Brown and the East team take on the West in the 12th annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.
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