Omar Brown is simply grinding after a turbulent year. When things went south last season, for himself and for the team, he kept his head down and kept working. Relegated down the depth chart of a stacked secondary and forced to watch loss after loss, he stayed focused on his NFL dreams. At any given moment someone out there with the same dream was working. So he’d work too.
“It’s just that competitive drive. I can’t not grind this day,” Brown told Jessica Coody about what motivates him. “If I know, I’ve got dreams of going to the NFL, I know there’s some that aren’t taking any days off. So I can’t take no days off.”
Brown is a Minneapolis native who became an FCS star at Northern Iowa. He transferred to Nebraska this time last season as part of the influx and change within the football program. He moved all over the secondary but couldn’t crack the starting lineup. The former FCS Defensive Freshman of the Year played in every game, mostly on special teams. In a recent episode of Sports Nightly he told Coody he’d never bounced around to so many positions. While the year didn’t go how he wanted, he’s thankful for the learning opportunity it provided. He liked the physicality of nickel and the downhill work at corner and safety.
He rested assured in his ability. His lack of significant snaps made no indictment upon his abilities. Then came the coaching change and their accompanying clean slate. It was the fresh start so many in the program asked for. Plus, as a competitive guy, he knew he’d fit in well on a team built upon competitiveness. He knew proving his value to the coaching staff meant showing what he can do.
“I’m not too much of a talker. I don’t do too much yelling, I’m not too much of a yeller,” Brown said. “I’m just my own inner person. I go grind.”
He’s thankful for the connections he’s built going into his senior season. He called the NFL experience this staff has as a “perfect” fit. Secondary coach Evan Cooper is well aware of Brown’s NFL dreams and comes directly from a role of evaluating NFL talents. Cooper knows what teams look for so he knows what to coach into his players. Brown also likes Cooper’s young energy and his ownership of the secondary. Cooper stressed the details through spring and Brown embraced the information.
“Little things like that, minor things and I think they are on me and everybody about that just because he sees where I’m trying to go, Brown said. “I’m trying to get to the next level and trying to make that really important.”
The senior likes the secondary’s depth and how they shape up this season. He likes their role in defensive coordinator Tony White’s defense. The multiple looks and aggressive attack appeal to the Minneapolis native as the team prepares for the road ahead. The Huskers are in summer workouts and over a month out from media days. Coody told him the news that they’d all live together in the dorms for the first few weeks of fall camp. Brown wasn’t sure what to think of it at first but quickly came around. “I think I’m going to like it. I know why he’s doing it. It’s a team bonding thing. Make sure everybody right. It’s going to definitely be new but I think I’m going to like it,” Brown said. He hopes he rooms with Marques Buford Jr.
Outside of his role in the defense, Brown is excited for his internship this fall at the rec center. There he’ll work with kids to help them find a new home in sports or something else that excites them. He wants to be involved in the community and loves telling his story to possibly inspire someone who comes from his same position. Maybe they can grind their way up too.
