Curtis Brown

Curtis Brown (born March 3, 1984) is an American former professional football running back. He briefly played for the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2007. Brown played college football at BYU, where he set the school record for rushing yards.

Early life Brown was born on March 3, 1984, in Palmdale, California to parents Herman and Cheryl Brown. He attended Paraclete High School in Lancaster, California, where he played interscholastic football. As a freshman, he recorded 1,094 rushing yards. During his sophomore year, he set the California state record for rushing with 2,645 yards. During his senior season, Paraclete finished with a perfect 12–0 record and secured its fourth consecutive CIF Division XII championship. In total, Brown amassed 7,045 career yards during his high school years. His honors included a place on the 1999 All-California Interscholastic Federation Division XII team and selection as an All-CIF Division XII Co-Offensive Player of the Year.

College career Brown was recruited out of high school by Washington State, Clemson, Idaho State, UCLA, and Miami (Ohio), before he ultimately committed to attend Brigham Young University. During his freshman year at BYU, he considered transferring to another school. In February 2004, Brown was baptized and confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mother, who like the rest of his family is not a Latter-day Saint, expressed happiness for Brown's decision and appreciation for the support of the BYU community. Brown played alongside running back Fahu Tahi, whom he nicknamed "Pops" for his extended tenure with the Cougars. During Brown's time at BYU, he was mentored by former record-setting running back Luke Staley.

As a true freshman during the 2002 season, he saw action in all twelve games. Against Utah State, Brown replaced injured starter Marcus Whalen, and rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns, and made four receptions for 48 yards. Brown became the fourth BYU player to run for more than 200 yards in a single game. The performance helped the Cougars recover from a deficit to win, 35–34, and earned him honors as the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Brown sat out the 2003 season as a redshirt. The Salt Lake City Tribune noted that he refused to criticize the playcalling of head coach Gary Crowton and instead replied, "I just do my thing." Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn said of Brown, "He's got some strong legs. Las Vegas put some great shots on him and he ran through some tackles. You've really got to bring your feet when you tackle this guy." Brown pushed his college career mark past 1,000 rushing yards in the game against New Mexico, which made him only the fourth BYU player to surpass that number as a sophomore. After breaking the rushing record, Brown praised the play of the offensive line rather than take credit for the accomplishment himself. Brown's record was in turn surpassed by Harvey Unga on November 21, 2009.

After college, Brown was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals and played on the team during the 2007 preseason. He saw action in all four games and recorded stats against Detroit, New Orleans, and Indianapolis. Ultimately, he did not make the team's final roster.