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John Brown (born April 3, 1990), nicknamed "Smokey" or "Smoke," is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
wide receiver who is a free agent. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most o ...
at Pittsburg State and was drafted by the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...
in the third round of the
2014 NFL Draft The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. He has also played for the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
and the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
.


High school career

A native of Homestead, Florida, Brown attended Homestead High School, where he played
high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
. He was named an All- Dade County selection as a senior in 2007.


College career

In 2008, Brown enrolled at
Mars Hill College Mars Hill University is a private Christian university in Mars Hill, North Carolina. The university offers 35 undergraduate majors and includes a school of nursing and graduate schools in education, criminal justice, and management. From 1859 t ...
in Mars Hill, North Carolina. Brown was named the SAC Freshman of the Year, after catching 27 passes for 619 yards and seven touchdowns while leading the team with 1,472 all-purpose yards. Due to academic troubles, he sat out the 2009 season before transferring to Coffeyville Community College in 2010, but he was
redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
. Unable to play at Coffeyville, Brown considered a transfer to MidAmerica Nazarene University, where his half-brother James Walker had played. Before Brown and Walker could play together, however, Walker was shot multiple times in July 2010 and died in April 2011 from his injuries. Walker's ailing condition and eventual demise motivated Brown to keep playing football despite his past hardships, and he eventually earned a scholarship to play for
Pittsburg State University Pittsburg State University (Pitt State or PSU) is a public university in Pittsburg, Kansas. It enrolls approximately 7,400 students (6,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students) and is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. History ...
. In 2011, he was a second-team AP Little All-American as all-purpose player while leading Pittsburg State to the NCAA Division II National Championship. He was named first-team All-MIAA as kick returner and second-team All-MIAA as a wide receiver after he led his team with 61 receptions for 1,216 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2012, he was named a first-team AP Little All-American as an all-purpose player, and first-team All-MIAA as kick returner and wide receiver. He was named the MIAA and the NCAA Division II National Special Teams Player of the Year. Brown started 10 games and led team with 63 receptions for 973 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2013, he was named 2013 MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year as well as the NCAA Division II National Special Teams Player of the Year. He was also named a second-team AP Little All-American as all-purpose player and first-team All-MIAA player as kick returner and wide receiver. He caught 61 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns. He finished as Pitt State’s all-time leader in receptions (185), receiving yards (3,380) and receiving touchdowns (34). His 3,380 receiving yards ranks fifth in MIAA history. Between receiving, rushing and return yards, Brown finished his career with 7,716 all-purpose yards, 6,244 at Pitt State.


Professional career


Arizona Cardinals


2014 season

Brown was drafted by the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...
in the third round (91st overall) of the
2014 NFL Draft The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. Brown was the first Pittsburg State Gorilla drafted since Ronald Moore in
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
. In his debut for the Arizona Cardinals, Brown caught his first professional touchdown on a 13-yard pass from
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football ...
against the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
in Week 1 of the 2014 season. He followed that performance with his first multi-touchdown game two weeks later against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. On October 26, 2014, he caught a 75-yard game-winning touchdown pass to beat the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
. In Week 10 of the 2014 NFL season, John Brown became the first rookie in NFL history to have four-game-winning touchdowns in a season. Brown finished the season with 48 receptions on 103 targets for 696 yards and five touchdowns. An injury to the Cardinal's quarterback,
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football ...
, caused a sharp decline in the team's offense. On January 3, 2015, in the NFC Wild Card Round against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division ...
, on the game's final offensive play, Brown was the final recipient of a multiple lateral play which lost 20 yards. The loss caused the Cardinals to finish the game with just 78 total offensive yards, the lowest total in NFL playoff history which broke a 56-year-old league record.


2015 season

Brown and the Cardinals enjoyed a terrific season, finishing the regular season at 13–3. Brown concluded the regular season with 65 receptions on 101 targets for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. The Cardinals ultimately lost in the NFC Championship to the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division ...
.


2016 season

Plagued with hamstring issues throughout the season, Brown posted 39 receptions on 72 targets for 517 yards and two touchdowns in 2016.


2017 season

Brown's 2017 season was also plagued with injuries, dealing with quadriceps, back, and toe injuries. He played in 10 games with five starts, recording 21 catches for 299 yards and three touchdowns.


Baltimore Ravens

On March 13, 2018, Brown signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. After scoring his first Ravens touchdown in the season-opener against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, he would go on to record 92 yards and his second touchdown (a 21-yard reception) against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
the next game. In Week 4, against the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...
, he recorded three receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in the victory. He finished the season with 42 receptions for a team-leading 715 yards and five touchdowns.


Buffalo Bills


2019 season

On March 13, 2019, Brown signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. During the season opener against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
on September 8, 2019, Brown finished with seven receptions for 123 yards, including the go-ahead 38-yard touchdown reception in a 17–16 win after trailing 16–0. In a Week 7 matchup against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The ...
, Brown caught a go-ahead touchdown from Josh Allen in the fourth quarter, giving Buffalo a 17–14 lead. The Bills would go on to win 31–21 as Brown caught five passes for 83 yards and the touchdown. During the rematch with the Dolphins in Week 11, Brown finished with 137 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the Bills won 37–20. During the Thanksgiving Series against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
in Week 13, Brown completed one pass for a 28 yard touchdown to rookie running back Devin Singletary. Brown also finished with 26 receiving yards himself as the Bills won 26–15. During a 17–10 Week 15 win over the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Stee ...
, Brown helped the Bills to victory with seven catches for 99 yards, as the Bills clinched a playoff berth for the second time in three seasons. In Week 16 against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The P ...
, Brown caught one pass for a 53-yard touchdown during the 24–17 loss. Brown's touchdown reception was the first one allowed by All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore all season. Overall, he finished the 2019 season with 72 receptions for 1,060 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. In the AFC Wild Card Round against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at N ...
, Brown caught four passes for 50 yards and threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Josh Allen during the 22–19 overtime loss.


2020 season

In a season opening 27–17 victory over the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
, Brown was targeted ten times, catching six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. In his third game of the year, Brown suffered an injury to his calf. In Week 10, Brown suffered a high ankle sprain and was placed on injured reserve on November 28, 2020. He was activated from injured reserve and subsequently placed on the reserve/
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
list by the team on December 28, 2020. He was activated from the COVID list four days later. He played in Buffalo's season finale against the Dolphins, catching four passes for 72 yards a one touchdown in Buffalo's 56–26 win. Overall, Brown finished the 2020 season with 33 receptions for 458 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Brown received eight receptions for a total of 62 yards in the 17–3 victory over the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. On March 10, 2021, Brown was released by the Bills.


Las Vegas Raiders

On March 19, 2021, Brown signed a one-year contract with the
Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the So ...
. He was released on August 31, 2021.


Denver Broncos

On October 12, 2021, the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
signed Brown to their practice squad. He was released on October 26, 2021.


Jacksonville Jaguars

On November 8, 2021, the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
signed Brown to their practice squad. He was released on November 29, 2021.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On January 13, 2022, the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
signed Brown to their practice squad. On January 22, 2022, he was elevated to the active roster. His contract expired when the team’s season ended on January 23, 2022.


Buffalo Bills (second stint)


2022 season

On November 26, 2022, Brown returned to the Bills, signing to the practice squad. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on January 22, 2023.


NFL career statistics


Regular Season


Playoffs


Personal life

All of Brown's family and friends refer to him by his nickname, Smokey. The name was bestowed on him at birth by the boyfriend of his grandmother. “She nicknamed me Smokey because when I first came out, I was blacker than what I am now,” Brown said, referring to his skin color. “Most people are like, ‘Why they call you Smokey? Because you are fast?’ But no.” Brown was diagnosed with
sickle cell trait Sickle cell trait describes a condition in which a person has one abnormal allele of the hemoglobin beta gene (is heterozygous), but does not display the severe symptoms of sickle cell disease that occur in a person who has two copies of that all ...
in 2016 after suffering from soreness in his hamstrings. He insisted a cyst on his spine he had treated during the 2016 season was the root cause of his leg issues and that the sickle cell trait will not affect his football career.


References


External links


Pittsburg State Gorillas bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, John 1990 births Living people American football return specialists American football wide receivers Arizona Cardinals players Baltimore Ravens players Buffalo Bills players Coffeyville Red Ravens football players Denver Broncos players Jacksonville Jaguars players Las Vegas Raiders players Mars Hill Lions football players People from Homestead, Florida Pittsburg State Gorillas football players Players of American football from Florida Sportspeople from Miami-Dade County, Florida Tampa Bay Buccaneers players