Popping pads and catching interceptions during the fall, to making diving plays and crushing home runs during the spring, to all of it ending in a second. Senior football and baseball player Jeffrey Brown suffered a season-ending injury in February while playing baseball, which still affects his football abilities.
“All I could think about when I got hurt was how much harder I was going to have to work,” Brown said. “This is my third year in a row getting injured, so I know I’ll have to push myself as hard as I can.”
Brown tore his labrum at baseball practice while throwing. This caused him to sit out the rest of the 2025 baseball season, which included the team’s playoff run.
“Being sidelined for the playoffs was hard,” Brown said. “Knowing I couldn’t be out there with my team and having to sit there and watch was devastating.”
Although he couldn’t play, that didn’t mean he wasn’t available to the team. Brown tried to stay as involved as he could despite his injury.
“Even though I couldn’t be on the field, I supported my team in every way that I could,” Brown said. “I always made sure to pick them up when they were down.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Brown also had to watch from the sidelines during the start of his senior football season. He missed the first five games, but he didn’t just relax; he spent those five weeks preparing for his return.
“Having to sit on the sideline during football was hard,” Brown said. “But I used that time to lead my teammates and coach them. I had to get back in the weight room and prepare myself physically for when I got back.”
This meant that Brown only had five guaranteed football games left. When he realized how little time remained, he knew pushing himself as hard as he could for his last season remained necessary.
“Recovery was tough; the hardest part was gaining strength and motion after I had surgery,” Brown said.
It’s not just Brown who’s thrilled to return; his entire team waited for him to make his season debut.“We’re all excited to have Jeffrey back,” junior Jake Jenkins said. “He adds some extra support in our secondary, and I know he’ll come down and make some plays.”
Brown played his first game in week six against Weatherford, where he finished with 10 tackles and a 52-49 win.
“I miss being out on the field with my teammates,” Brown said. “The feeling of being out there with all your friends is special.”
Even though he’ll only be playing for the last half of the season, he plans to make the most of these games.
“My goals for the rest of the season are to help the team win out in district and make a deep playoff run,” Brown said.
