Before He Played for Pay . . . Corey Brown

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  These stories about O'Hara product Corey Brown, who made his NFL debut on
Sept. 7, 2014, appeared in the Daily News in the falls of 2009 and 2008, respectively.
Corey played his college ball at Ohio State and picked up "Philly" as a nickname
because the squad had another player named Corey Brown. Corey's brother,
Courtney Williams, was a star running back at George Washington High and is
now an assistant at O'Hara. We wish Corey and his family the best.



Corey (15) as a senior captain in '09 with, L to R, Brendan O'Callaghan, Matt Williams and Mike Huf.

O'Hara star Brown chooses Ohio State

By TED SILARY
Now that Corey Brown has watched the Ohio State Buckeyes, he wants to help 'em.

Brown, a star senior football player - rusher, receiver, d-back, returner, anything else you want? - at Cardinal O'Hara High, has made an oral commitment after spending a memorable weekend on campus.

The 6-1, 185-pound Brown rode to Ohio on Saturday with his mother and brother, Delene and Courtney Williams (star rusher for George Washington's 2004 Public League champs), and O'Hara junior quarterback Ryan Laughlin. Then the group sat at the 50-yard line, eight rows up, to watch the Buckeyes fall to Southern Cal, 18-15, in a game witnessed by 106,033.

The fun was only continuing as the game progressed.

"It was unbelievable," Brown said. "Just walking up to the stadium was cool. There was a bunch of us - possible recruits - with friends and family members. Everyone knew who we were. People were yelling my name. Wanting me to sign autographs.

"I don't know how many I signed, but even grown men were asking for 'em. "

Brown said his mother told Ohio State personnel that Corey had made an oral commitment just before the return trip began yesterday morning.

He said he confirmed things during a cell-phone call from the highway.

"This was my first time to Ohio State," said Brown, who now lives in Upper Darby but spent a chunk of his youth in Oxford Circle and was a pound-ball star in the city. "I didn't know what to expect. But with the way I was treated, and from what I saw, I kept thinking, 'It can't get much better than this. ' "

Brown's final five had also included West Virginia, Pitt, Rutgers and Miami.

"I was blessed to be wanted like this," he said. "It was getting so intense, though. It feels good to have the decision made, so now I can put full concentration into our season and my academics. "

Said O'Hara coach Danny Algeo: "Corey said he's comfortable and happy. "

Brown, for now, has no idea where he'll play at Ohio State.

"They said I can pick my position," he said. "I'm not sure which one [to try]. I'll see how things look when I get there."

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Knee injury sidelines O'Hara's Brown
One of the area's very best junior football prospects now must become a spectator.

For how long? No way to tell.

Corey Brown, an abundantly talented running back, cornerback and return man for Cardinal O'Hara High, injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Saturday night while returning an interception in a nonleague game vs. Woodson, of Washington, D.C.

Brown said a visit to the doctor yesterday determined the MCL was not torn. An MRI exam will be done tomorrow.

"It happened on the third play of the game," Brown said. "I was making a cut, and one of my teammates was blocking. A guy got knocked into me.

"It doesn't hurt. I was actually able to get up and walk off the field. And I was able to walk around the rest of the game. Even now, it doesn't hurt at all. I can walk around fine. "

Coach Danny Algeo suspects Brown will be sidelined for 4 to 6 weeks. Five games remain in the Catholic AAAA regular season.

"I'm not upset," Brown said. "I know my team has great senior leadership and that everybody will pick it up. All the guys know what's at stake. They'll get it done. "

This season, the 6-1, 190-pound Brown has rushed 56 times for 565 yards and eight touchdowns. He also boasts eight catches for 100 yards and three more scores, along with 76 total points and two interceptions.

So far, 14 major college programs have offered scholarships.

When asked at what position most seem to project him, he said with a laugh, "I don't even know. We haven't gotten that far yet. "

Brown said he hopes to make a decision "sometime before my senior year" but not necessarily before summer. *