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Cornerback Tre Brown during OUâs 2021 Pro Day on March 12.
BROWN DISPLAYS TALENT Soonersâ cornerback gears up for 2020 NFL Draft, turns heads in OU Pro Day performance with 4.4-second 40-yard dash
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Tre Brown got burnt once, b u t h e âs n o t g o i n g t o b e passed by again. After Oklahomaâs 45-34 loss to Alabama in the 2018 Orange Bowl, Brow n and his father, Richard Prince, started getting phone calls. Brown, a Tulsa native, had always dreamed of playing for OU and, subsequently, in the NFL. Following a crushing College Football Playoff semifinal loss, his pro dreams came into focus, as scouts and agents alike were dialing his and Princeâs numbers, fascinated with the 5-foot-10 cornerback whoâd just finished his sophomore season. Heâd capitalized on the national spotlight, making a name for himself against some of the best receivers in the country. Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr., Denver Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy and Las Vegas Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III were among those he faced in the contest. So was DeVonta Smith, who won the 2020 Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award and is a projected top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Jaylen Waddle, another Crimson Tide receiver whoâs a likely firstround choice. O n t h e s p o r t âs b i g g e s t s t a g e h e âd b a c k e d u p a breakout sophomore campaign of 49 solo tackles and 12 pass es defende d. Based on the phone calls, Brow n believed he was a strong candidate to leave Oklahoma after his junior year, if he booked one more productive season, being well positioned for the 2020 NFL Draft. But after his third s eason, things got eerily quiet.
Nobody ever explained to Brown and Prince why the calls stopped coming. P r i n c e f e l t l i k e B r o w n âs less-than-spectacular junior year coupled with a draft class that produced six firstround cornerbacks quieted the hype. The buzz from Brownâs stellar sophomore showing died out and he returned for his senior season with his NFL career still in reach but seemingly having
show teams that heâs worthy of playing in that league,â P r i n c e s a i d b e f o re h a n d . âAnd then heâll make an impact for whatever team he decides to go to.â Brown, whoâs projected as a seventh-round pick by Pro Football Focus, wasnât going to miss his chance a second time. After making the winning interception in the 2020 Big 12 Championship game, he opted out of the Soonersâ
of practice and missing the Reeseâs Senior Bowl, Brown drew rave reviews in preparatory workouts leading up to the Jan. 30 showcase in Mobile, Alabama. He was named the American Teamâs top defensive back for the week by opposing wide receiver vote. And former Louisville receiver Dez Fitzpatr ick, an expected fifth- or sixthround pick in this year âs
Bommarito of Bommarito Performance Systems, whoâs well known for training draft prospects. Brownâs
â
Iâm gonna go out there and compete with whoever, whatever (and) make plays. -Tre Brown,
â
MASON YOUNG
Senior Cornerback
GRAPHIC BY MASON YOUNG/THE DAILY
more to prove. Friday, at Oklahomaâs annual Pro Day inside Everest I n d o o r T r a i n i n g C e n t e r, Brown created buzz in lieu of the NFL Combine, which was canceled due to COVID19, before the draft from April 29 to May 1. âI think this is the only opportunity he has left physically to prove to the NFL that heâs worthy, trying to
bowl game and declared for Aprilâs draft two days later. âWe just looked at it like âitâs time,â instead of coming back for another year,â Prince said. âWeâll just get it while itâs hot.â
draft who was the Senior Bowl MVP, listed him among the cornerbacks who impressed him most during the week. Brown shared that company solely with former Flor ida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., whoâs got âIâM GONNA GO OUT a chance to be a first-round THERE AND COMPETEâ pick come April. Around his time in Despite suffering a minor Mobile, Brown was in Miami injury during the final day honing his craft with Pete
been working side by side daily with Virginia Techâs Caleb Farley, whoâs the first cornerback off the board in NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiahâs latest mock draft. âI donât think he learned anything from Farley, so to speak,â Prince said. âIf anything, I think he may have shown Farley a few things. ⌠see BROWN page 2