Derrick Brown’s Heisman candidacy

[aubiefifty 18,230]

al.com

Gus Malzahn, Auburn teammates make pitch for Derrick Brown’s Heisman candidacy

Posted Nov 26, 2019

5-7 minutes

Auburn Football

Gus Malzahn knows history isn’t on his side, but that didn’t stop the seventh-year Auburn coach from making his pitch.

He wanted everyone to know at the start of his weekly press conference, even during Iron Bowl week: Derrick Brown should be in the Heisman discussion.

“You usually don’t have defensive guys, but if you just look at who the best players are, he needs to be in that conversation,” Malzahn said Tuesday. “I don’t care if it’s a kicker, a defensive player or an offensive player — he’s dominant. He’s a game-changing type player.”

There hasn’t been an exclusively defensive player in the running as a Heisman Trophy finalist since 2012, when Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o finished as runner-up behind Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. In 2016, Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers — a linebacker/safety who also returned kicks and punts and saw a role on offense — finished third in Heisman voting.

In the last 20 years, only two defense-only players have been invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony: Te’o in 2012 and Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh in 2009. The only other defensive player to earn an invite to the ceremony was LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu in 2011, but he also returned punts for the Tigers that season.

Even 1997 winner Charles Woodson, a defensive back, was also a dynamic weapon on special teams for Michigan.

“Defensive guys put in a lot of hard work,” Auburn defensive end Marlon Davidson said. “We have a lot of plays that we don’t get recognized for, different type of stats and everything, just hustle plays. I mean, I feel like a lot of defensive players don’t get recognized. It’s really an offensive game, you know what I mean?”

In Davidson’s mind, there are two defensive players who deserve to be in the conversation this year: Brown and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young — the potential No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft — who has been “playing out of his mind,” as Davidson put it.

Brown will have a tough time becoming a Heisman finalist, as any defensive player does, but especially in a field led by LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and featuring other top quarterbacks like Ohio State’s Justin Fields, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, as well as running backs Chubba Hubbard from Oklahoma State and Johnathan Taylor of Wisconsin.

Still, Malzahn and several of Brown’s Auburn teammates believe the 6-foot-5, 318-pounder deserves consideration for college football’s most prestigious individual award.

“That’s crazy; I like it,” Davidson said. “He deserves a lot of the awards that he’s up for. He puts in a lot of hard work, and I’m just glad that it’s paying off. I’m proud of him.”

Quarterback Bo Nix believes that if Brown played any other position, he would likely be a finalist for the award, but because he’s a defensive lineman, “it’s not pretty”—though he’s certain Brown is arguably the best player in the country.

“He should,” left tackle Prince Tega Wanogho said. “You see Derrick Brown, the kind of plays he makes. He’s unreal. He’s probably one of the greatest to come to Auburn in a while, too. He’s a great players great human being, too. I believe he’s actually earned it, whatever he’s got coming his way, he’s earned it.”

Brown’s senior season has been impressive, certainly. He has 43 total tackles, including nine for a loss and four sacks, to go along with four pass breakups, two forced fumbles (both on strip-sacks) and two fumble recoveries. Traditional stats don’t tell the full story for Brown, who has perpetually dealt with double-teams throughout the season, often opening things up for Davidson to excel. Davidson leads Auburn with 12.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks.

Brown has been named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times this season, and he’s a finalist for six national awards: the Outland Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top interior lineman; the Bednarik Award, which goes to the nation’s best defensive player; the Nagurski Trophy, also awarded to the top defensive player; the Wuerffel Trophy, which goes to the player who best combines community service with academic and athletic achievement; the Pop Warner Award and the Senior Class Award.

“(The Heisman is) definitely a prestigious award,” Brown said. “I'm up for a lot right now and — if I did, I do. If I don't, I don't. I've just tried to put my best foot forward this whole season. Playing in the SEC, playing those teams every single game, you're not going to be a stat booster. I'm just trying to do my job and be efficient in our defense.”

As those around him make their push for Brown’s candidacy, the senior defensive tackle and future first-round pick will have one last opportunity to make his own case this weekend against No. 5 Alabama in the Iron Bowl against an offensive line that Malzahn believes is one of the best in the nation.

“He's been making plays all year,” receiver Seth Williams said. “(Teams) can't stop him. Like, he's a beast on the line. Like every time I get up and watch him, he always do something special. He's throwing guys out of the way, making a play. Like, he definitely should be in contention for it.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[around4ever 4,139]

Why wait until the last game to start pushing him for the Heisman?  We knew Brown was special and expected him to have this kind of season. 

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Just now, around4ever said:

Why wait until the last game to start pushing him for the Heisman?  We knew Brown was special and expected him to have this kind of season. 

Because there's a body of work to lean on now. Gus has always been late to the media hype train. Tre Mason and Kerryon Johnson both got late late season hype from their head coach.

I think it's mostly because Malzahn looks at the team and the big picture and then sees the stats and accolades toward the winding down if the season but by that time the media already has their darling. But yeah I'm all for the #DB4Heisman train

[beaumak 174]

15 hours ago, JBiGGiE said:

Because there's a body of work to lean on now. Gus has always been late to the media hype train. Tre Mason and Kerryon Johnson both got late late season hype from their head coach.

I think it's mostly because Malzahn looks at the team and the big picture and then sees the stats and accolades toward the winding down if the season but by that time the media already has their darling. But yeah I'm all for the #DB4Heisman train

working on midseason contract negotiations (what audacity by the way, he can still tell fatass sexton to stfu.). then following that up with losses (either an ass kicking, or embarrassing, and/or both) after rewarded with such unmerited accolades or doing what you were already paid to do!!!!!!!!!!

fify. such bs fungi. 

 

But yes Go Derrick Brown. Deserves all the praise he gets, and more.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,046]

It is weird that Gus tries to initiate these conversations when the field is almost completely set 

[aucanucktiger 1,889]

Derrick has a huge stage this weekend, if he has the game of his life (and makes it to the endzone with the ball this time) he may get the Heisman invite. 

[TigerHorn 1,382]

I believe Green left out the LSU DB who got to the NYC ceremony the year Cam won it. I remember Herbstreit ragging him during the ceremony with something like "Is this the closest you've ever gotten to Cam?" because Cam looked straight at him on a run and just accelerated away from him for a TD. Patrick something?

[bigbird 60,939]

33 minutes ago, TigerHorn said:

I believe Green left out the LSU DB who got to the NYC ceremony the year Cam won it. I remember Herbstreit ragging him during the ceremony with something like "Is this the closest you've ever gotten to Cam?" because Cam looked straight at him on a run and just accelerated away from him for a TD. Patrick something?

Patrick Peterson

[DAG 34,752]

49 minutes ago, TigerHorn said:

I believe Green left out the LSU DB who got to the NYC ceremony the year Cam won it. I remember Herbstreit ragging him during the ceremony with something like "Is this the closest you've ever gotten to Cam?" because Cam looked straight at him on a run and just accelerated away from him for a TD. Patrick something?

He actually carried him into the end zone . A bonafide all American and arguably the best secondary player in the nation. Prior to that , he juked out the honey badger. A distant memory. 

[AURealist 2,194]

On 11/27/2019 at 9:54 AM, JBiGGiE said:

Because there's a body of work to lean on now. Gus has always been late to the media hype train. Tre Mason and Kerryon Johnson both got late late season hype from their head coach.

I think it's mostly because Malzahn looks at the team and the big picture and then sees the stats and accolades toward the winding down if the season but by that time the media already has their darling. But yeah I'm all for the #DB4Heisman train

I believe Gus thinks only about Gus coaching football games to win championships and how to remain head coach so he can coach football games to win championships.  I think it probably has to be pointed out to him that a player is playing well enough to win awards.   And he probably has to be nagged to get the ball rolling for a nomination.