49ers’ Brown checks his baggage

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, September 07, 2007  |  Comments( 14 )

San Francisco 49ers
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After presenting Tarell Brown with the Thomas Herrion Award on Monday -- given to the rookie who best exemplified Herrion's work ethic and spirit -- San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan said, "He (Brown) looks to be a good part of what we do going forward."

Which was quite a turnaround, because a year ago, Brown's football career seemed to be going backward -- fast.

On the eve of his University of Texas team's high-profile meeting with Ohio State in the first game of 2006, Brown was riding in a car that was pulled over by police. Some pot was found in the vehicle, and Brown was discovered sitting in the back seat with a loaded pistol in his lap.

The Longhorn cornerback passed a drug test, though, and his career resumed after a one-game suspension. Then, he got hurt. And three days before the draft, he was a passenger in his cousin's car when drugs were found at a traffic stop. By this time, his stock had plummeted faster than anything on the Dow Jones.

Prior to the draft, however, San Francisco player personnel director Scott McCloughan had some nice things to say about Brown, baggage and all.

"Mentally, he fits in," McCloughan said, "physically, he fits in, and he's got some real skills."

So the 49ers took a chance on Brown in the fifth round and played him extensively during the preseason. He worked hard, said little, didn't make many mistakes and intercepted a pass against Denver. And he has a good chance of getting some playing time on Monday night versus Arizona, because fellow cornerbacks Donald Strickland and Dashon Goldson are hurt.

Herrion, in case you've forgotten, was the reserve 49ers lineman who after an exhibition game in 2005.

Resilience and determination was Herrion's trademark, and Brown has certainly demonstrated the same qualities. When he was 9 years old, his mother was shot to death. His father died of a heart attack right before February's scouting combine.

"I don't dwell on the past," was Brown's explanation of his performance in August. "I wasn't trying to win an award. I just worked hard, like I always do."

Perhaps that baggage wasn't carry-on, after all.

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