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#8 Bryce Brown
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Position: Running Back Previous College: University of Tennessee Projection: Starter Status: On Scholarship |
Bryce Lee Brown (b. May 14, 1991) comes to us at last, crowned in expectations, on a chariot of unrestrained hype.
Unrestrained, that is, by all but the venerable Bill Snyder, who's in no bloody hurry to anoint Bryce Brown as anything.
The presumed heir-apparent to Daniel Thomas certainly is no stranger to expectations. A quick recap: He and his brother, Arthur Brown, held a dozen schools hostage with their cross-country "Potential Players" tour.
Their mentor, Brian Butler, got himself into trouble with the NCAA over how he handled their recruitment. Bryce was committed to Miami for more than a year, only to back out well after National Signing Day and choose Tennessee.
God told him to, he said at the time, but God apparently failed to warn him that Lane Kiffin was a gigantic douche.
Bryce's freshman performances weren't all that bad by SEC standards, but they failed to live up to the expectations established for the No. 1 player in the Class of 2009 and a U.S. Army All-American.
He was unhappy. The fans were in the midst of a bloody, anti-Kiffin revolt. Is it any wonder he wanted to come home to Kansas as soon as possible, damned be the formalities?
Cue a second round of douchery, courtesy one Derek Dooley refusing to grant Bryce his release, and he finally returned to us, humbled and discouraged, a mere walk-on and scout team player.
But all of that has passed, right? He's ready to take names and kick ass, right? He's going to live up to his preseason first-team All-Big 12 billing, right? Well, he's certainly doing nothing to stave off controversy.
He took Thomas' recently vacated number. He spent much of the summer working out in Wichita. He's already in Snyder's doghouse even as his brother flourishes as a team leader and defensive savior. Then there was Shapirogate.
Yes, this promises to be a fascinating season.