Clemson’s Will Brown combines guts and grit
CLEMSON, S.C. (BVM) – Clemson University redshirt junior, Will Brown, has had the opportunity to play with some of the best quarterbacks in college football. When he began his career at Clemson as a walk-on, the wide receiver set high goals for himself.
“I spent a lot of time on scout team with Coach Venables,” Brown said. “I wanted to lay my body on the line for the defense and make sure they were ready every single week for the offense we were playing. I was fortunate enough to grind very hard and win Scout Team Player of the Year my freshmen year.”
Brown wanted to prove to the older players on the team, as well as the coaches, that he belonged there. He tackled this giant goal head on.
The health science major also earned a freshman year academic award. In his fifth year, he plans to pursue an MBA and work in the medical devices field.
As a Clemson football player, Brown has been part of three ACC championship teams. He has also been part of two national championships – with the Tigers winning the title game in 2018. In addition, Brown has been with Clemson for wins in the Fiesta Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, and a lot of games in between.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be put on scholarship,” Brown said. “In Jan. 2019, after the championship loss to LSU, coach called and put me on scholarship. That was a very cool experience, and definitely a dream come true for me and a goal that I always had.”
The upstate South Carolina native was a key contributor at Boiling Springs High School, where he helped lead the team to a school record 13 wins in 2016. The result was the program’s first trip to the state championship in school history. Although they came up short in the championship game, Brown hauled in 11 receptions for 144 yards in a hard-fought game with Dutch Fork High School.
In Brown’s senior year, the Bulldogs broke a lot of records, and bolstered the sport in the local community.
Brown started playing baseball and football through the Boiling Springs Youth Athletics Association. He maintains close friendships with childhood players including Michael Bollinger, a tight end at Liberty University, and Grayson Atkins, kicker for the University of North Carolina.
This summer, Brown prepared for his fourth season with the Clemson Tigers by lifting three to four days a week and running routes at a park in Boiling Springs. He also practiced throwing and catching with friend and Georgia State QB, Mikele Colasurdo, who played at Chapman High School.
“This season obviously has been very different than any other season that we’ve had here at Clemson,” Brown said. “When the ACC said that we would be playing, we knew we would have to make a lot of little sacrifices to be able to play. We’ve been very successful to limit the spread of COVID throughout the team. It’s been cool to see guys band together for a common cause so that we can have a season.”
Individually, Brown is constantly driving for improvements in catch radius, pass completions, speed, getting in and out of break points, and his ability to make separation from the defensive backs covering him. He often stays after practice to catch extra passes, run extra routes and stretch while using Clemson’s recovery facilities to maintain his physical readiness.
Brown has learned how to keep healthy and prevent injuries. He has also learned how to quickly recover from them, specifically when he suffered a torn right hamstring at the start of his sophomore year. For Brown, the physical challenges have not made him want to fold or quit. Instead, they have only helped build his determination to keep pressing forward. Truth be told, Brown learned to live with purpose before he ever stepped foot on the field.
“My parents are unbelievable people. My dad has done nothing but work hard his entire life. My mom raised three boys and made sure that we pursue Jesus,” Brown said. “I never want to be known as somebody that stood in the background and didn’t take a leap of faith and jump for something that might be out of the ordinary or might be out of reach. I want to be known as somebody that is a go-getter, that pursues his dreams and trusts the Lord with all his heart, and that knows the Lord is going to provide when I take the leap of faith.”
