In a word, Cardinal O’Hara senior running back Corey Brown is, well, explosive. That’s not just the impression of this writer – his coach, Danny Algeo, will tell you as much.
But there’s more to the Lions’ multi-purpose weapon than just his explosiveness.
“He’s very versatile,” Algeo said. “He’s a good runner. He’s a good receiver. He’s a good D-back.”
And, add to that the fact that #15 is a game-changer on special teams, too, making him a true triple-threat athlete, which doesn’t happen too often among schools that compete in Pennsylvania’s “AAAA” classification.
The complete package that Brown possesses will be taken to Big Ten power Ohio State next fall. Brown verbally committed to Ohio State Sunday, according to various media reports.
The versatile running back prospect also had offers from notable programs like Alabama, Florida, Florida State, and West Virginia, among numerous others.
Brown was easily the top running back prospect in the Philadelphia Catholic League in the 2010 recruiting class, and he was also one of the top running back recruits in the entire country. Brown was rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, which ranked him 6th at his position, 86th in the nation, and 3rd in the state.
In terms of the most versatile athlete, Algeo said Brown takes the top spot among athletes he’s coached during his career. In terms of running backs, one other might compare.
Steve Cook was the Lions’ featured back during their run to the 2004 PCL Red Division championship, finishing the season with 1,149 all-purpose yards (1,078 rushing) and 17 total touchdowns scored.
“But Corey,” Algeo quickly added, “is just exceptional.”
The numbers back Algeo up. As a sophomore, Brown ran for 1,017 yards and added another 281 yards receiving. He scored 13 total touchdowns (9 rushing).
Brown was poised to break out big time as a junior, and he, like O’Hara, got off to a very fast start. But an injury sidelined Brown for the majority of the remainder of the Lions’ season, and O’Hara’s unblemished record didn’t last very long afterward.
At the time of his injury, Brown was on pace for 1,795 all-purpose yards and 29 total touchdowns. He was showing no mercy.
“He’s a two-way starter, the majority of our special teams,” Algeo said, “he affects field position. And defensively, you’ve got an eraser back there. It (his injury) greatly affected us. You just don’t replace a kid of that caliber.”
This season, though it is merely two games old, Brown is already on pace for yet another impressive stat line. Potentially, Brown could put up 1,530 all-purpose yards and score 25 touchdowns, that is, assuming he keeps his pace going.
Thus far, Brown has run for 231 yards and added another 75 receiving, scoring five total touchdowns. As a team, O’Hara is averaging 38 points per game.
But here’s the scary part – things could get even better.
“If we progress the way I think we’re capable of progressing, he could put some pretty big numbers up,” Algeo said.
That is, of course, good news for the red and blue. But nothing but bad news for everyone else.
O’Hara, in its program history, has won six PCL championships, the most recent the aforementioned 2004 title. The Lions also won titles in 1973, 1979, 1980, 1985, and 2000.
