When former Greenville Tiger Rod Brown started out last Wednesday night's scrimmage, the third of the

year, he intended on just remaining what he had been slated for:

second team tailback for Jacksonville State.

That was his assignment when the team started their practice camp this summer. But what happened surprised both Brown and head coach Jack Crowe.

Brown really showed determination on the goal-line drills, and caught Crowe's eyes.

"Rod Brown stepped up down there," Crowe said. "We've got no room for error at that position.

I think its going to be Rod Brown. I was looking for a bunch of other guys, but its going to be Rod Brown, unless the film looks a little different."

Brown took carry after carry and displayed a hard-charging running style that brought a smile to Crowe's face, he said.

"We started off trying to find everybody else and Rod sort of stepped in and did it," said Crowe. "Today, I think he focused on what he was supposed to do with this football team. When he gets focused he's a load."

Brown was an outstanding player when he graduated from Greenville High School in 1998. After playing on the varsity for four years, he received a partial football scholarship from Jacksonville State University and the Greenville Professional Men's Club.

At 5-11, 210 pounds, Brown said he knew the importance of the scrimmage.

"This scrimmage was really important for me as far as coming off a bad spring," he said. "Coming out there today I definitely didn't want to miss what coach Crowe calls opportunity training.' I just went out there and gave it all I had."

Brown didn't have a really bad spring season, but felt like he should have played better than he did, he said.

"It wasn't a total bomb," he said. "But I didn't do as well as coach expected. We both had high expectations and I just didn't run the ball as well as I wanted to."

Brown hasn't carried the ball yet for JSU, but he has proven to be a good tool on the field; Brown rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his last three seasons at GHS.

Brown, the son of Carmell and Calvin Brown of Greenville, is pursuing a degree in Criminology.