Ronnie Brown Dolphins Interview on IGN
Thought everyone might be interested in the IGN interviews of Ronnie Brown.
Ronnie Brown: Draft Diary 2
My meeting with the Dolphins, the draft, and Madden.
by Ronnie Brown
March 30, 2005 - As told to Jon Robinson
I had a workout with the Dolphins today, and had an opportunity to speak with Coach Saban and their running backs coach as well as a few other people who are involved in the organization. They didn't really tip their hands at all whether or not they are going to pick me, and I'm really getting anxious for the draft to happen. I wish it was today so I can put an end to all of the traveling, all of the waiting, and get back to what I want to do, and that's play football.
I've been doing a lot of TV shows lately, and it's pretty exciting that the closer it gets to the draft, the more people are starting to recognize me. The autograph guys are starting to follow me a little bit, and I've gotten a few random phone calls from people who say things like "You might not remember me, but I had a class with you…"
It's funny when you get calls out of nowhere like that, and I'm just glad to get the opportunity to get in the spotlight, to be able to play in the NFL and fulfill one of my dreams.
In the end, I'm really just trying to relax and enjoy the process right now. I've heard a lot of crazy stories about the extremes people go through to get your autograph or just to talk to you. I haven't really experienced anything too crazy, but I'm sure it's coming. It's hard sometimes after a long workout, or if you've had a bad day and someone comes up to you and wants you to sign something, but it's all a part of the job now, and I appreciate the fans that I have so you just go ahead and sign. You just don't try to think about how some of this stuff you're signing could be headed to eBay.
I'm actually headed to New York for the NFL draft, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see when my name is called. I've been to New York twice the last couple of weeks, and I'm headed there again on Saturday. I love all the shopping, but I'm not going too crazy. I didn't get drafted yet.
When I'm not thinking football or working out, I'm usually listening to music. Right now I'm listening to T.I.'s "Urban Legend", the new John Legend, this rapper out of Atlanta named Young Jeezy, the new Lil Wayne, and I just bought the new Beanie Sigel CD, but I haven't got a chance to listen to it yet.
Other than music, I might hit up a movie or watch a little TV to relax, and lately I've been playing a lot of Madden. I'm still not too good at it, but I know Madden NFL 2006 is right around the corner. And the best part is, I'll finally be able to hand the ball off to myself.
HERES PART ONE from MARCH 7:
Ronnie Brown: Draft Diary
The combine, Madden, and moving up the draft board.
by Ronnie Brown
March 7, 2005 - As told to Jon Robinson
The combine was an exciting time for me, not only to go out and meet the different NFL coaches, but to get a chance to show them all what I can do. I was pretty nervous at first, but I just looked at it from the standpoint that it's all football, and I've been doing it for a while, so I simply needed to relax and go out and have fun with it. I know a lot of players actually choose not to work out at these events, but for me and my situation, I split time with Carnell (Williams) last season, so I only had a limited amount of carries to show my different abilities. I looked at the combine as my best opportunity to impress the NFL general managers, coaches and scouts. When I work out at my Pro Day on March 21st in Auburn, there might only be a few scouts there. The combine was my chance to shine in front of the entire league, and that's what I wanted to do.
And I think right away, I really surprised a lot of people running the 40. I think with my size, they didn't anticipate me being able to run as fast as I did, but all of my hard worked has really paid off. The only event that I didn't do as well as I expected was the bench press. I expected to do a couple of more reps, but I still managed to do 18 reps at 225 pounds.
Another cool thing about the combine is getting to meet some of the other athletes. I've actually been working out with a few different guys, like Carlos Rogers, Carnell, Mark Clayton, Marlin Jackson, and guys like that. Then to go up and meet some of the other guys like Braylon Edwards at the combine, it was really exciting. As a player, you know who your opponents are, and you know how good some of these guys are on the field, but it's cool to actually go out and talk to them on a personal basis. Besides, you never know who is going to be your teammate in a couple of months.
[size=-1]Will Ronnie-B dominate Madden NFL 2006?[/size]
Making the jump to the NFL is really an opportunity to make my dreams come true, and it's so exciting to see my name up in the mock drafts as high as the second pick. Growing up, I just wanted to play in the NFL, and for me to be in this position now is just really incredible. I always loved to watch players like Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Thurman Thomas. Herschel Walker was another player, a player who I didn't get to watch too much live, but I love to hear the stories about his games, and anytime his highlights are running, I'm glued to the TV. It's funny to think of myself as a kid, wearing some of these jerseys, and now there are going to be fans in the stands wearing my NFL jersey. Things like that just blow my mind.
[size=-1]Strength and size, but don't forget the speed.[/size]
Another big transition is finally seeing myself in a Madden game. I've been in the NCAA game before, but it didn't have my name. Now in Madden, the player is going to look like me, he's going to have my attributes, John Madden is going to talk about my player while the game is going on. I just hope the creators of the game don't underestimate my speed. They might see me as a big back and automatically reduce my speed rating, but don't compromise my speed just because of my size and strength. I just want my character in the game to be a playmaker. I know last year, some of my friends from back home would always ride me, telling me I lost the game for them or I fumbled at the goal line. It seems like they don't tell you when you score a touchdown, but they call at all hours of the night when your character makes a mistake. In Madden 2006, I don't want my character to be perfect, I just don't want to hear anymore about how I cost someone their franchise. I can't wait to see how the game turns out. I know that's the game I play the most right now, and I'll play it even more when I'm actually in it.
[size=-1]Ronnie-B gets busy in NCAA Football.[/size]
The only thing they need to add to the game are all the crazy questions the different teams ask you on some of these tests at the combine. The one that really sticks out in my mind is the question: Have you ever thought about killing someone? Even if you had, who would actually write down that answer? There were all kinds of questions on that test. It actually starts out fairly simple, asking you a lot of math questions, then working into the stranger questions about killing people and things like that. I had heard about the craziness of the tests, but until you're actually looking at the questions on the page, you almost don't believe they're going to ask you things like that.
Like I said, though, the combine was an exciting time for me, and I think I was able to prove to everyone out there just what type of player I can be.
Now, if only someone at EA Sports would notice my 40 time…
Thought everyone might be interested in the IGN interviews of Ronnie Brown.
Ronnie Brown: Draft Diary 2
My meeting with the Dolphins, the draft, and Madden.
by Ronnie Brown
March 30, 2005 - As told to Jon Robinson
I had a workout with the Dolphins today, and had an opportunity to speak with Coach Saban and their running backs coach as well as a few other people who are involved in the organization. They didn't really tip their hands at all whether or not they are going to pick me, and I'm really getting anxious for the draft to happen. I wish it was today so I can put an end to all of the traveling, all of the waiting, and get back to what I want to do, and that's play football.
I've been doing a lot of TV shows lately, and it's pretty exciting that the closer it gets to the draft, the more people are starting to recognize me. The autograph guys are starting to follow me a little bit, and I've gotten a few random phone calls from people who say things like "You might not remember me, but I had a class with you…"
It's funny when you get calls out of nowhere like that, and I'm just glad to get the opportunity to get in the spotlight, to be able to play in the NFL and fulfill one of my dreams.
In the end, I'm really just trying to relax and enjoy the process right now. I've heard a lot of crazy stories about the extremes people go through to get your autograph or just to talk to you. I haven't really experienced anything too crazy, but I'm sure it's coming. It's hard sometimes after a long workout, or if you've had a bad day and someone comes up to you and wants you to sign something, but it's all a part of the job now, and I appreciate the fans that I have so you just go ahead and sign. You just don't try to think about how some of this stuff you're signing could be headed to eBay.
I'm actually headed to New York for the NFL draft, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see when my name is called. I've been to New York twice the last couple of weeks, and I'm headed there again on Saturday. I love all the shopping, but I'm not going too crazy. I didn't get drafted yet.
When I'm not thinking football or working out, I'm usually listening to music. Right now I'm listening to T.I.'s "Urban Legend", the new John Legend, this rapper out of Atlanta named Young Jeezy, the new Lil Wayne, and I just bought the new Beanie Sigel CD, but I haven't got a chance to listen to it yet.
Other than music, I might hit up a movie or watch a little TV to relax, and lately I've been playing a lot of Madden. I'm still not too good at it, but I know Madden NFL 2006 is right around the corner. And the best part is, I'll finally be able to hand the ball off to myself.
HERES PART ONE from MARCH 7:
Ronnie Brown: Draft Diary
The combine, Madden, and moving up the draft board.
by Ronnie Brown
March 7, 2005 - As told to Jon Robinson
The combine was an exciting time for me, not only to go out and meet the different NFL coaches, but to get a chance to show them all what I can do. I was pretty nervous at first, but I just looked at it from the standpoint that it's all football, and I've been doing it for a while, so I simply needed to relax and go out and have fun with it. I know a lot of players actually choose not to work out at these events, but for me and my situation, I split time with Carnell (Williams) last season, so I only had a limited amount of carries to show my different abilities. I looked at the combine as my best opportunity to impress the NFL general managers, coaches and scouts. When I work out at my Pro Day on March 21st in Auburn, there might only be a few scouts there. The combine was my chance to shine in front of the entire league, and that's what I wanted to do.
And I think right away, I really surprised a lot of people running the 40. I think with my size, they didn't anticipate me being able to run as fast as I did, but all of my hard worked has really paid off. The only event that I didn't do as well as I expected was the bench press. I expected to do a couple of more reps, but I still managed to do 18 reps at 225 pounds.
Another cool thing about the combine is getting to meet some of the other athletes. I've actually been working out with a few different guys, like Carlos Rogers, Carnell, Mark Clayton, Marlin Jackson, and guys like that. Then to go up and meet some of the other guys like Braylon Edwards at the combine, it was really exciting. As a player, you know who your opponents are, and you know how good some of these guys are on the field, but it's cool to actually go out and talk to them on a personal basis. Besides, you never know who is going to be your teammate in a couple of months.
[size=-1]Will Ronnie-B dominate Madden NFL 2006?[/size]
Making the jump to the NFL is really an opportunity to make my dreams come true, and it's so exciting to see my name up in the mock drafts as high as the second pick. Growing up, I just wanted to play in the NFL, and for me to be in this position now is just really incredible. I always loved to watch players like Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Thurman Thomas. Herschel Walker was another player, a player who I didn't get to watch too much live, but I love to hear the stories about his games, and anytime his highlights are running, I'm glued to the TV. It's funny to think of myself as a kid, wearing some of these jerseys, and now there are going to be fans in the stands wearing my NFL jersey. Things like that just blow my mind.
[size=-1]Strength and size, but don't forget the speed.[/size]
Another big transition is finally seeing myself in a Madden game. I've been in the NCAA game before, but it didn't have my name. Now in Madden, the player is going to look like me, he's going to have my attributes, John Madden is going to talk about my player while the game is going on. I just hope the creators of the game don't underestimate my speed. They might see me as a big back and automatically reduce my speed rating, but don't compromise my speed just because of my size and strength. I just want my character in the game to be a playmaker. I know last year, some of my friends from back home would always ride me, telling me I lost the game for them or I fumbled at the goal line. It seems like they don't tell you when you score a touchdown, but they call at all hours of the night when your character makes a mistake. In Madden 2006, I don't want my character to be perfect, I just don't want to hear anymore about how I cost someone their franchise. I can't wait to see how the game turns out. I know that's the game I play the most right now, and I'll play it even more when I'm actually in it.
[size=-1]Ronnie-B gets busy in NCAA Football.[/size]
The only thing they need to add to the game are all the crazy questions the different teams ask you on some of these tests at the combine. The one that really sticks out in my mind is the question: Have you ever thought about killing someone? Even if you had, who would actually write down that answer? There were all kinds of questions on that test. It actually starts out fairly simple, asking you a lot of math questions, then working into the stranger questions about killing people and things like that. I had heard about the craziness of the tests, but until you're actually looking at the questions on the page, you almost don't believe they're going to ask you things like that.
Like I said, though, the combine was an exciting time for me, and I think I was able to prove to everyone out there just what type of player I can be.
Now, if only someone at EA Sports would notice my 40 time…
