News
A Long Road to Glory
By Jacob TullochNovember 07, 2009
Ronnie Brown hasn't always been the man; in fact, it'd be
easier to say that he's spent most of his career avoiding roadblocks like
would-be tacklers.
After being chosen with the 2nd overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Miami Dolphins, few doubted that stardom awaited for the man who was arguably the better half of Auburn University's dynamic RB tandem (his counterpart being Tampa Bay 1st rounder Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, taken 5th overall). However few, including Ronnie himself, could have anticipated the challenges that came along with being anointed a franchise back for a then struggling team.
A late arrival at camp due to a holdout (a fairly common occurrence for high draft picks) contributed to a rough first month of Ronnie's NFL career. Incumbent RB Ricky Willams was serving an NFL-imposed 4 game suspension -- the perfect opportunity for Brown to come in and seize the job from the very beginning. However, as one would expect, it took Brown a few games to develop into an effective pro runner. By then, Williams (a former first round pick himself) was back in the saddle and a full-blown timeshare was in place in Miami.
Brown certainly made the best of it though, tallying nearly 1150 total yards and 5 TDs during the 2005-06 regular season. He showed himself to be a complete back; not only did he average 4.4 yards per carry on the ground, but he also caught 32 passes and proved to be a reliable receiver as well. Brown's rookie campaign injected new hope into a franchise in clear need of it, and the fortunes of both Ronnie and the team were inextricably intertwined, for better or worse.
Next season, Brown built upon the success of his rookie year, becoming more involved in the offense and racking up nearly 1300 yards to go with another 5 TDs on the ground. Another impressive campaign, but the best was yet to come. The 2007-08 season saw Brown emerge as an elite player in the league. After only 7 games, he already scored as many touchdowns (5) as he had in either of his first two seasons. Additionally, he rushed for 602 yards and was on pace to annihilate his past receiving totals with a whopping 39 catches for 389 yards.
Then, disaster struck.
Ronnie tried making a tackle after an interception was thrown by the offense, and suffered a knee injury on that play which sidelined him for the rest of the season. Some speculated that he'd never be the same player; but that didn't stop him from fighting back to return to form. Brown rehabbed hard and returned for the 2008-09 season rejuvenated. Admittedly not at top form, he STILL accumulated another 1150 total yards. Except this time it came along with an impressive 10 TDs, the same pace he was on during his injury-shortened campaign the year prior. He had accomplished all this while less than fully recovered from surgery, and it was clear big things were ahead for the then 27 year-old back from Auburn.
Fast forward to the present, and Brown has come through in a big way for the Dolphins this season. Miami is in the thick of the AFC playoff race in large part thanks to Ronnie's integral contributions to the offense. He's the focal point of the revolutionary "Wildcat" offense the team pioneered last year, and he's on pace for career-high rushing totals as well. So, what does the future hold for Ronnie Brown?
If the past is any indication, he'll continue leaving would-be tacklers in his wake -- and not just on the football field.
After being chosen with the 2nd overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Miami Dolphins, few doubted that stardom awaited for the man who was arguably the better half of Auburn University's dynamic RB tandem (his counterpart being Tampa Bay 1st rounder Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, taken 5th overall). However few, including Ronnie himself, could have anticipated the challenges that came along with being anointed a franchise back for a then struggling team.
A late arrival at camp due to a holdout (a fairly common occurrence for high draft picks) contributed to a rough first month of Ronnie's NFL career. Incumbent RB Ricky Willams was serving an NFL-imposed 4 game suspension -- the perfect opportunity for Brown to come in and seize the job from the very beginning. However, as one would expect, it took Brown a few games to develop into an effective pro runner. By then, Williams (a former first round pick himself) was back in the saddle and a full-blown timeshare was in place in Miami.
Brown certainly made the best of it though, tallying nearly 1150 total yards and 5 TDs during the 2005-06 regular season. He showed himself to be a complete back; not only did he average 4.4 yards per carry on the ground, but he also caught 32 passes and proved to be a reliable receiver as well. Brown's rookie campaign injected new hope into a franchise in clear need of it, and the fortunes of both Ronnie and the team were inextricably intertwined, for better or worse.
Next season, Brown built upon the success of his rookie year, becoming more involved in the offense and racking up nearly 1300 yards to go with another 5 TDs on the ground. Another impressive campaign, but the best was yet to come. The 2007-08 season saw Brown emerge as an elite player in the league. After only 7 games, he already scored as many touchdowns (5) as he had in either of his first two seasons. Additionally, he rushed for 602 yards and was on pace to annihilate his past receiving totals with a whopping 39 catches for 389 yards.
Then, disaster struck.
Ronnie tried making a tackle after an interception was thrown by the offense, and suffered a knee injury on that play which sidelined him for the rest of the season. Some speculated that he'd never be the same player; but that didn't stop him from fighting back to return to form. Brown rehabbed hard and returned for the 2008-09 season rejuvenated. Admittedly not at top form, he STILL accumulated another 1150 total yards. Except this time it came along with an impressive 10 TDs, the same pace he was on during his injury-shortened campaign the year prior. He had accomplished all this while less than fully recovered from surgery, and it was clear big things were ahead for the then 27 year-old back from Auburn.
Fast forward to the present, and Brown has come through in a big way for the Dolphins this season. Miami is in the thick of the AFC playoff race in large part thanks to Ronnie's integral contributions to the offense. He's the focal point of the revolutionary "Wildcat" offense the team pioneered last year, and he's on pace for career-high rushing totals as well. So, what does the future hold for Ronnie Brown?
If the past is any indication, he'll continue leaving would-be tacklers in his wake -- and not just on the football field.