By Adam Thompson

Staff Writer

Havelock News

Reprinted with permission

Former Havelock linebacker Milton Brown is learning that being on a first-year football team takes patience and hard work.

Last year, while other colleges played on Saturday, the Campbell football team spent the weekends battling each other.

The Camels practiced every day, lifted weights four times a week and scrimmaged on Saturdays.

"Being here last year we just practiced, and it taught us about playing at game speed every day because we didn't really have games on Saturdays," said Brown. "We just played hard in practice like we were playing in games."

When the Camels won their first game on Sept. 27 against Carthage College, Brown admitted it was gratifying.

"Our first win was crazy," Brown said. "It was like a big payoff from practicing all of last year and practicing through this summer program. It felt like we overcame a whole lot."

Brown had plenty to do with the win. The redshirt freshman had three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.

Brown returned an interception 32 yards for a score in the second quarter. His ran back his interception in the fourth quarter 99 yards for a touchdown, giving Campbell a 34-29 win.

He was named the Pioneer League Defensive Player of the Week.

"It felt great," Brown said. "I always dreamed about having a game-winning touchdown and to actually do that, it was a really good feeling."

Brown leads Campbell with 65 tackles and two sacks.

Despite starting the season with a 1-7 record, Brown still has high expectations for himself and his teammates.

"Each game I go in there with the mindset of coming out with a ‘W' no matter what needs to be done," he said. "I go out there with the mentality that I can't be blocked and can't be out-ran, not necessarily with a cocky attitude but with a confident attitude."

Brown gets his mentality from his cousin Chris Moore, a former Havelock and East Carolina linebacker.

After every game, Brown gives Moore a call to relay his statistics.

"After every game I call him and tell him how many tackles I had, and he'll tell me ‘that's good but keep getting better,'" Brown said. "He says to never be satisfied with what I've done."

Brown, a 2007 graduate from Havelock, logged three sacks in his final season as he was named to the all-conference team.

However, Brown can attest that the college level is much tougher.

"It is a lot faster than it was in high school," Brown said. "People are a lot stronger. In our first game, our coaching staff was like, ‘When you come off the field for that first series, you are going to come to the sidelines with wide eyes and with a loss of words.' It took me one or two games to get adjusted to it, but now it just comes natural."