They’re calling Gilbert Brown “The Comeback Kid” in Green Bay.
Brown, the Packers’ massive 6-foot-2, 340-pound nose tackle, suffered a torn biceps injury in Green Bay’s preseason opener in late July and was thought to be out for the season.
But Brown has become one of nine former Kansas University football players to make an NFL opening-day roster by proving to Packers’ head coach Mike Sherman he can still play.
“If you didn’t tell me he was hurt, I wouldn’t have known,” Sherman said after Brown played a critical role in a goal-line stand in an exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers.
Now Brown will start at nose tackle when the Packers open the regular season Sunday against Minnesota.
Brown, now in his 10th NFL season, is one of four former Jayhawks listed as a starter on an NFL depth chart going into the season-opening weekend. The others are Houston fullback Moran Norris, Miami long snapper Sean McDermott, San Diego strong safety Kwamie Lassiter and Tennessee center Justin Hartwig.
Hartwig, a 6-4, 305-pounder, is in only his second season with the Titans. An offensive tackle when he played for the Jayhawks, Hartwig was the Titans’ sixth-round draft choice in 2002.
Norris, a third-year pro, joined the Texans last September after New Orleans put him on waivers. The 6-1, 250-pounder was a fourth-round pick of the Saints in 2001. Norris, a native of Houston, played in 13 games for the Texans, mainly on special teams, last season.
McDermott, signed by the Dolphins as a free agent this offseason, spent last year with the Texas after being chosen from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the expansion draft. The 6-4, 250-pound long snapper is also listed as third on the Dolphins’ depth chart at tight end, along with eight-year pro Marco Battaglia.
| Gilbert Brown, Green Bay Packers, nose tackle.Moran Norris, Houston Texans, fullback.Sean McDermott, Miami Dolphins, long snapper/tight end.Kwamie Lassiter, San Diego Chargers, strong safety.Justin Hartwig, Tennessee Titans, center.Dana Stubblefield, Oakland Raiders, defensive tackle.Gerald McBurrows, Atlanta Falcons, strong safety.Ron Warner, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defensive end.Don Davis, New England Patriots, linebacker. |
The 6-0, 207-pound Lassiter is in his first year with the Chargers. Lassiter signed with San Diego as a free agent in the off-season after spending his first eight NFL campaigns with the Arizona Cardinals.
The four other former Jayhawks on NFL rosters are listed as backups.
Veteran defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield is No. 2 on the Oakland Raiders’ depth chart. The 6-2, 290-pound Stubblefield, now in his 11th NFL season, was released by San Francisco after the 2002 season and signed by the Raiders.
Gerald McBurrows, a ninth-year pro, is the backup strong safety for the Atlanta Falcons; Ron Warner is a reserve defensive end for the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs; and Don Davis is a No. 2 inside linebacker for the New England Patriots.
Davis, an eighth-year pro, signed with the Pats as a free agent after starting all 16 games for the St. Louis Rams last season.
Several former Jayhawks failed to make the NFL’s final 53-man rosters.
Cornerback Andrew Davison, who made the New York Jets as an undrafted rookie last season, was released Sunday. The 5-11, 185-pounder suffered an ankle injury in the team’s preseason finale and reached an injury settlement with the club. He played in six games for the Jets last season.
Three members of last year’s KU team who were trying to earn professional jobs as undrafted free agents also failed to hook on.
Wide receiver Byron Gasaway was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 24, offensive tackle Justin Sands was sliced by the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 20 and linebacker Greg Cole was dropped by the San Diego Chargers on July 22.
Also, nose tackle Nate Dwyer was let go by Arizona on Aug. 24. Dwyer was the Cardinals’ fourth-round draft choice in 2002. Veteran offensive guard Rod Jones was cut by the Washington Redskins on Aug. 25 after suffering an early preseason injury. Jones was a third-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1996.
Wide receiver Isaac Byrd, who played for the Carolina Panthers last season, was unable to secure an NFL contract this summer.
