Cameron Brown thought 2020 would be his breakout year in Ohio State’s secondary. Then it came to an abrupt end in the Buckeyes’ second game of the year.
During the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s game at Penn State last season, Brown tore his Achilles, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. As the Buckeyes made a run to the national championship game, Brown could only watch, and he admits that wasn’t easy.
“It sucked, I ain’t gonna lie, because I was really looking forward to that year,” Brown said Friday. “I felt like that was my year for me to break out and just hopefully get to my goal and be in the NFL. But everything happens for a reason. Just take my time and just keep going this year. You have to. It’s the past. Move on from it.”
Brown didn’t practice this spring either, even though he personally felt like he could have, as Ohio State worked him back into action gradually. That made Brown hungrier than ever to get back on the field this week for the start of preseason camp.
“It was fun. It was exciting. I was happy. Ready to go. Probably the most energized guy out there. I was ready,” Brown said.
Brown said he’s feeling 100 percent healthy now, and that looked to be the case on Friday morning, when he made a pair of pass breakups during the brief window of practice that the media was permitted to watch.
Ryan Day said Ohio State is still keeping Brown on a “pitch count,” limiting his reps in practice to ease him back in after missing so much time. He’s able to do everything when he is on the field, though, and says he’s feeling no ill effects from the injury.
“I don’t feel it anymore,” Brown said. “I feel like it’s normal. I can’t tell either one. I’m just full go.”
Brown began last season as Ohio State’s No. 3 cornerback, playing 39 snaps in the Buckeyes’ first two games before his injury, and Ohio State certainly missed him. Without Brown in the rotation, Shaun Wade and Sevyn Banks played just about every significant snap at outside cornerback for the remainder of the season, and the Buckeyes’ passing defense struggled mightily, giving up more than 300 yards per game.
As the Buckeyes’ pass defense looks to get back on track this year, Brown is expected to play a major role in that. While defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs didn’t get into any specifics about the cornerback depth chart on Friday, he indicated that Brown – the presumptive frontrunner to start opposite Banks this season – is one he believes can make a big impact.
“Cam was playing really well last year. People forget that,” Coombs said. “He had a good camp, he’s playing really well. He’s going out there playing nickel, playing man-to-man in some tough situations, and he was playing really well. So it was a heartbreaking injury for him.
“He’s gotta knock the rust off, and he’s gotta be ready to play. But he’s fast, he’s twitchy and he’s going to go out there and compete.”
Although last year’s injury was disappointing for Brown, he says it humbled him and motivated him to work harder to take care of his body and spend more time in the film room. He also believes it made him a better leader, as he tried to find ways to stay involved and encourage his teammates even though he couldn’t contribute on the field.
“I became more of a leader and more vocal, and I’m able to help guys and understand things from a different perspective,” Brown said. “Instead of being on the field I’m on the sideline, but I still have an on-the-field mentality.”
Banks, who was part of the recruiting class of 2018 with Brown, says he’s seen Brown “do the extra work that he probably wouldn’t have did two years ago when he first came in.”
“When he was out, when he was learning. He was still helping out. And he was still there. Still being our leader,” Banks said.
Brown didn’t get the opportunity he was supposed to have to show what he could do last year, but he has the potential to be Ohio State’s next great cornerback. Listed at 6-foot and 190 pounds, Brown has elite speed – he’s said previously that he can run a sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash, though he didn’t want to talk numbers on Wednesday – and like Coombs said, his play has been solid in limited action.
On top of his physical abilities, Brown enters the 2021 season with a new perspective that will give him extra fuel to play at his best.
“I’m realizing that anything can get taken from you at any moment, so take advantage of every opportunity you get,” Brown said.
Being back on the field has given Brown a “big adrenaline rush,” he said, and he expects that to show in his performance this season.
“I’m just ready,” Brown said. “I’m excited to be out there. When you’re excited, you’re confident. Everything goes your way.”
