The Pirates were open this week so I thought I would speak about something else that has really bothered me over the last couple of years…Andre Brown.  If you don’t know that name and you live in Greenville, then you haven’t been listening to Pirate Radio 1250 & 930, reading the paper, or watching TV.  He was the High School All American that led J.H. Rose to their first football State Championship in 30 years.  In his senior year at Rose he set the state all time single season record in yards (over 3500) and rushing TD’s (47).  During that senior year he was one of the most highly touted recruits in the country, but the Pirates never really recruited him.  Sure, they sent him letters, but they didn’t recruit him like they thought they had a chance.  Chuck Amato came to Rose more than once to personally visit Andre, and some say they ate lunch together.  Did John Thompson go see Andre at school?  Don’t think so!

 

Let’s rewind a bit, before I get to present day.  Over the years Rose High School has sent several football players to East Carolina.  There were many Division I athletes from Rose that ended up at ECU.  Troy Smith, Rod Emery, Chris Howell, Anthony & Antwan Adams, Myself, Columbus Grice, David Daniels, Kort Shankweiler, etc. all went to ECU to play football, Those were just the guys since the early 90s that come to mind.  Point blank, if there was a good player in Greenville, East Carolina got’em.  The rumor was, Andre never really wanted to come to ECU for reasons that had nothing to do with football, and that may be true, but you still have to recruit him and let him make the decision when the time comes.

 

Now, back to the present, Andre enrolled at NC State this fall after a year at Hargrave Military Academy.   As a true freshman, he was listed as fourth or fifth on the teams running back depth chart, and was relegated to kick off return duties through the first 6 games of the season, only getting 13 rushing attempts.  Last week’s Southern Miss game gave him the opportunity to show his God given ability, and he didn’t disappoint.  Andre rushed for 248 yards on 32 carries, and earned himself his first ever college start on Saturday vs. Florida St.  Andre proved on Saturday, that the Southern Miss. game was no fluke, rushing for 179 yards on 26 carries and leading State to there biggest victory of the year over the ‘Noles.

 

As an East Carolina graduate it is against the law for me to root for NC. State, but as a graduate of J.H. Rose high school I’m sure proud of my fellow alum and I hope he has a great career for the Wolfpack (except when they play the Pirates of course). For the next few years, every time I hear the name Andre Brown, I will shake my head and say “wow he was the one that got away.”

Kevin Monroe