2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Caleb Brown, CB, Idaho State University

• Name: Caleb Brown
• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 175 lbs 
• Position: Cornerback
• College: Idaho State University 
• Twitter: @browncaleb22

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

• I’m from Kent/ Maple Valley, Washington. Honestly what I love most about home is you get the best of everything. There’s the city, but there’s also the less populated areas. It’s a beautiful state, and when the weather is right it’s amazing.

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

• 1 – Film – I feel like film is so important for a corner because it can give you an edge. Playing on instincts is what makes plays for corner, especially when if you have no clue what’s going on out there you’ll always be a step behind due to the position being about reaction.

2 – Practice – every position in football is extremely technical, that being said I think corner is one of the most technical positions in the game. One minor detail and your receiver is wide open, and now you’re on a highlight. Practice, attention to detail, and effort every day helps to build your confidence in your technique, which will lead to less technical mistakes.

3 – Strength & Conditioning – just because this is ranked 3rd doesn’t mean it’s not important. I think at the corner position, though, strength and conditioning isn’t as big as a factor as in other positions. But it is important in the aspect of tackling, getting off blocks, and fighting for the  50/50 ball in the air.

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry mostly about the well being of the people I care for. That is what motivates me, and is always something I check on. I don’t worry too much about things involving myself. I just put everything I got into everything that I do, so that I have no regrets later on.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

• I approach all “failures” as a learning process. To me, failing only happens when you never learn from a mistake. Failing only happens when you give up. That being said, let’s say I gave up a touchdown in a game. I may be disappointed in the moment, but it doesn’t last, and I look at what I did wrong and make sure it’s a point of focus on the next rep.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• Accountability. I know I’m not perfect, and I will always own up to my mistakes. And they know I will do everything I can to ensure that same mistake doesn’t happen again. I am trustworthy in that regard.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

• I got to play a little bit against Cooper Kupp my freshman year, but I only got a few snaps against him. So I’d go with Antonio Gandy-Golden, who played receiver for Liberty University. Big guy, 6’4 220. But he had good speed and amazing ball skills. I contested every ball he caught and it seemed like it didn’t matter.

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? 

• I want to coach either football or track. My dad has been a coach my whole life, so I grew up around that mindset. Plus I can’t be away from sports. It is everything to me.

Room, desk and car – which do you clean first?

• Room, then car, then desk. My room is where I get comfortable. Can’t be comfortable in a mess. My car is important because I could always have company, and that’s a bad first impression if they get in my car and it’s messy. My desk is last because I’m someone that usually has a lot of things there so that it’s all in one place.

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

• One family member. Family will always be first. If I save a stranger, it’s more likely than not I’ll never see or hear from them again, but family will always be there.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

• I would be naruto, just because of the fact that he was able to go from nothing, to the best, through hard work and a little talent. He didn’t let anything stop him and was humble throughout the show.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

• My parents got divorced when I was 6, so dealing with the whole split family thing was difficult growing up because I didn’t understand why. I can remember that I would deal with it by just trying to maximize the time I spent at each home with family. I think that’s why family is so important to me now.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• I dropped a pick against Eastern Washington University that would’ve been the easiest pick, and possible pick 6, of my life. It was a floater because the quarterback got hit as he threw, and it should’ve fallen right in my lap, but I got a little excited and it hit me in the face.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• I think the pick 6 I had in my junior year was the most memorable play. There’s no better feeling than scoring on defense. And all it does is fuel you to get more.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• I feel like it’s a little cliche, but Grindin All My Life by Nipsey Hussle. I have had to grind for everything I’ve gotten in this sport throughout my life. That song embodies that slow, marathon-like grind.

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level? 

• I would go with Relentlessness. Nothing can stop you. You don’t quit. You can’t beat someone who doesn’t quit. And that drives work ethic and the want to be more. I’m here to do anything I can to make it to the next level, and I’m not letting anything stop me.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• I want to bring back Martin Luther King Jr. I want to show him that his dream came true. Everything that he fought and died for became what we know today.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 

• I feel like a complicated name would scare people away, so I would go with something simple like “Hits.”

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• I’m rocking with Tony Pollard, the backup running back for the Dallas Cowboys. Every time he touches the ball he makes something out of nothing.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I’d rather be respected, because at the end of the day, no matter what you do, not everyone is going to like you. Trying to impress people will force you to fit into a mold that isn’t you.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

• I would definitely go with Michael Vick. What he did was wrong, but I feel like he got wrapped in that kind of stuff early in his life without understanding that it was wrong. He did his time and has changed as a person, but so many people don’t want to forgive him. On top of that he was one of the most electrifying players ever before he went to jail.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I HATE losing. Winning is nice but I’m always looking to improve so I don’t think I focus hardly at all on celebrating. But losing puts me in a bad mood, and I don’t want to talk to anyone afterwards.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

• My dad was always someone I looked up to because he was a professional athlete. It showed me that it’s possible to play a game and make a living, and have fun doing it. Plus, even after my parents split, he stuck around and was still a part of my life in a huge way.