When Tony Brown isn’t trying to catch quarterbacks, the Tennessee Titans defensive tackle might be found fishing at the Chickamauga Dam.
“It’s a great place to just hang out with family and friends and get away from football,” says the soft-spoken star.
Brown prizes his occasional escapes to his hometown. As the Titans fight for the lead in the American Football Conference of the National Football League, he says he relies on friends and relatives in Chattanooga for inspiration and the welcome distraction from his daily grind on the gridiron.
His low-key persona usually keeps him off the radar while visiting the Scenic City, even when sampling his favorite dishes such as Master Blaster’s barbecue or Armando’s famous cheeseburgers. And that’s the way he likes it. “I can’t imagine how guys like Peyton Manning deal with all of that popularity,” says Brown.
At 6-3, 320 pounds, Brown knows he can attract attention, especially when working out in the off-season at D1 Sports in East Brainerd where young local athletes often surround him. Brown embraces his role model status, whether it’s signing autographs or hosting an annual basketball camp through the Boys Club with fellow Chattanooga native and New England Patriots player Terdell Sands.
A few years ago the easy-going Brown also started a community day at Brainerd High School that has attracted as many as 1,000 fans. “It gives me the opportunity to give back and show the community there that somebody can make it,” he says. “I came from the same background as most of these kids that come out to the event and I can show them what they can achieve if they try hard and put their minds to it.”
Entering his eighth season in the pros, Brown’s career has taken off since returning to his home state in 2007. His total of 13 sacks from 2007-09 placed him in a tie for seventh among all NFL defensive tackles. Last season, he set career highs with five sacks, 25 quarterback pressures, and three forced fumbles.
After stints with the Carolina Panthers and across the country with the San Francisco 49ers, the father and self-proclaimed family man enjoys playing ball so close to his hometown, even though his grueling schedule prevents trips home as often as he would like.
“It’s good to have my family close so they can sometimes come and see me play,” says Brown, who played at the University of Memphis after a dominant career at Chattanooga’s City High School. “When I was in San Francisco they never got to see me play and hardly even saw any of my games on TV.”
Brown credits much of his success to the guidance of former coach Charlie Ward, who showed confidence in him as a high school freshman after a teammate was injured. By his senior year Brown had started every game since, leading to All-State honors and a record-setting performance against Howard with 22 solo tackles and two blocked punts.
“Coach Ward really showed a lot of faith in me,” says Brown. “He really helped me out in football and in life. He taught me how to handle things, how to be a professional.” By his senior year Brown began to realize that his future could be played out on the football field and that a scholarship was the next step.
“School was always important to me so I try to pass that along to kids and even guys in the NFL who left school early,” he says. “You need to get that degree and have something to fall back on. Football is great but there’s always more out there, and this won’t last forever.”