Juco DB offers return skills, too

North Dakota State College of Science cornerback Justin Brown led his conference in kick returns as a freshman. Now, he's looking to show his skills as a cornerback and advance to the next level of college football.

"Justin is a good cornerback," NDSCS assistant coach Mike Shafer said. "He is quick and athletic. He is very competitive and will hit you hard when given the chance."

Brown, a native of Blue Springs, Mo., was first-team all-state as a cornerback for Blue Springs High School when the team finished the season as the No. 13 ranked team in the nation by USA Today.

"He played one corner for us last year," Shafer said. "He also was our kick returner."

As a cornerback, Brown finished the season with 50 tackles, 11 pass break ups and three interceptions. As the kick return man for NDSCS in 2004, Brown led the conference with a 28.4 yard average per return.

"Justin is getting a lot of mail," he said. "Several schools have requested tape of him and we've sent it out for them to evaluate. Of the schools that have film, Justin has five that are at the top of his list. Ohio State, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa State and Wisconsin are right up there, but they aren't alone in their interest."