MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — If there has been one thing in Mike Brown’s life that has stayed pretty consistent, it’s his size.
The 6-foot-3, 348-pound West Virginia offensive lineman wasn’t one to grow up playing football throughout rec leagues and other developmental programs, but his sheer size made it obvious he should give football a shot late in high school.
Once at Eastern Arizona Community College, Brown was able to use his strength to move defenders out of the way without having a full understanding of the intricacies of blocking along the offensive line.
“Back at juco when I first started, I used more of my brawn and brute strength more than anything,” he said Tuesday. “At juco, I just made sure the guy in front of me doesn’t get near your guy. I said, ‘OK, that’s easy.’ ”
Even during the recruiting process in 2017, Brown played second fiddle to older brother, Joe. As a package deal, Joe and Mike signed at West Virginia, a far cry from the west coast they grew up in.
As big as Mike is, Joe was the talk of the town prior to the 2018 season — listed at 6-foot-4 and 369 pounds, and Joe even earned a start in the season-opener against Tennessee while Mike redshirted.
Joe, however, left the program after that season while Mike stuck around, and in hindsight, it was the right decision. In 2019, Mike started six games and appeared in 11, mostly at left guard, and started the first three games of 2020 at right guard.
Not only has he started the first three games, but head coach Neal Brown said Mike has been one of, if not the highest graded offensive lineman on the team early on.
“I definitely feel like I’m a guy who has broken expectations and put myself to a higher standard,” Mike Brown said. “I’m more patient and understand execution better now. When I first got here, it was, ‘You got this guy and that guy and this guy,’ and in my head, it was like, ‘Oh man!’
“There was so much stuff, but I’m cool now. I’m good with it now.”
Along with Chase Behrndt, Brown is one of the few seniors along the offensive line, and despite only playing two years with the Mountaineers, is easily one of the most experienced. While his bubbly personality is apparent off the field, he tries to let his play do the talking on it, and that is how he thinks his experience factors in with the younger offensive linemen.
“I hear it all the time about being [a leader], but I just try to be myself,” Brown said. “I love playing football and I try to lead with the way I play. That’s the best way I can think of how to be a leader. When it comes to game day, I play a way that separates myself from others. That’s a way you can call yourself a leader.”
Brown also became a father to a girl in August after getting married in Summer 2019, and with his surge of production on the field, Brown feels blessed to be in the situation he’s in.
“It’s truly amazing — I love being a dad,” he said. “I’m a very religious man, I served my mission. Before my mission, my patriarch told me with all your heart, you’re going to be spiritually, mentally, and what you want the most, physically dominant. These are the blessings that come along.”
Tweet @SeanManning_1
