Press conference quotes: Drew Brown

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Monday, Oct. 30, 2017
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Pre Northwestern

Kicker Drew Brown
On tying with his brother Kris for second on Nebraska’s career field goal list with 57
“I am aware. It’s kind of cool to think about actually. He did so much while he was here, and it’s pretty cool to be able to at least have the chance to pass him.”

On talking with his brother
“I was with him all day yesterday while I was in Omaha, and we didn’t say a word about it. So either he’s upset about it or he’s proud of me.”

On Isaac Armstrong playing
“For me, I didn’t have to worry about anything. I knew that he was going to do a great job and he did even better than that. I’m so proud of him and I know everyone else is. He’s just as big as a part in this win as anybody. He’s one of the unsung heroes of this game and I’m very happy for him and couldn’t be more proud.”

On Zack Darlington and Isaac Armstrong
“Absolutely. He knows that. I’m just playing around, but I know they’re both just happy for each other. I’m sure Zack (Darlington) was the first one to tell Isaac (Armstrong), you know heck of a job. We’re all very proud of him for what he did.”

On the last, deep kick against Purdue
“It was kind of an interesting situation. We didn’t have any timeouts left so they kind of gave us a different look than what we expected. They put different guys forward expecting a low-squib kick. I looked over to the sideline and Coach Booker was telling me to kind of kick it a little bit deeper just so we make them have to return it and take a little bit of time off the clock rather than just squibbing it on the ground and them picking it up possibly near the 35, 40-yard line. We’re happy it worked out. But yeah I was trying to kick it a little bit deeper just to make them have to return it.”

On tackling
“It’s been an aspect of my game that I didn’t expect to have to come about. The other 10 guys on the field are busting their butts, running down field at full speed, avoiding blockers and trying to make tackles. Sometimes you are just not able to make a tackle, and it’s my job to be back there and kind of clean things up and make sure they don’t get any more yardage on the return. However I have to tackle them, I’ll do it. Just out there doing my job.”

On practicing tackling
“No, I mean it’s just something that comes up maybe once or twice a season. Honestly, I’d probably hurt myself if I practiced it too much. I’d find a way to do it. I’m just out there trying to get the guy down. “

On playing defense in high school
“No, I didn’t. I just kicked in high school so I don’t know where all this came from.”

On playing the last two home games as senior
“It really has, it’s gone by so quick for me and other seniors I’m guessing. Yeah, it’s crazy that we’ve only got two more shots to win out here and we’re going to do our best to do that and to secure our bowl eligibility.”

On the Purdue game
“It’s definitely one of my best games of my career. I hit the ball well and ultimately, the field goal team, we had a huge impact on the game. You never really know what a kick in the first drive in the game is going to do for the score. Ultimately all four of those kicks ended up being a big difference in the game. It feels good to be a part of that, it’s definitely one of the higher ranking games of my career for sure.”

On asking his brother Kris for advice
“If I had ever had a question for him about something, he would be more than happy to answer. I think kicking is just one of those things that if you start thinking about it too much then that’s not a great thing. I think he understands because he went through it for longer than I have at this point. The more things you can just not worry about or not think about while you’re kicking, the better. He obviously mastered it pretty close and he understands what it takes to be really good. I think the mental aspect of that is just as big of a part of what it takes, if not a bigger part than the physical aspect. We really just don’t go out of our way to just mention stats or anything like that. I think he just kind of lets me go about my business.”

On his brother as an inspiration
“Absolutely. Once I figured out that I had the ability to do it, obviously I had a great tool beside me to show me the ropes and to show me how to do it. It was up to me ultimately to get stronger and stuff like that. He’s pretty easy inspiration for me to be able to attempt to follow his footsteps and try and do what he did.”

On practicing with his brother in Houston
“When he was down in Houston, we would drive down there for a lot of games and stuff like that. Whenever he had any free time, like after practice or during practice we would kick a little bit. Just whenever he could, he had such a busy schedule down there. Whatever he could do, he would do it. I’m very thankful for that.”

On kicking after college
“It’s obviously going to be there. It’s not an easy business to get into. But whatever opportunity comes my way, I’m going to do the most with it that I can. As of now, I still have four games left here and I’m going to try my best to do the most I can for my team and just try to extend the season as much as we can.”

On the field goal unit during Purdue game
“It was flawless. Jordan (Ober) snapped it well. Isaac (Armstrong) held it well. The other nine guys, they blocked perfectly for me and I just have the last job of the play and that’s to make the kick. We did an unbelievable job, those guys. The Purdue field block team, they kind of like to penetrate the guards a lot. Our guys did an unbelievable job holding them back.”

On the field goal unit this season
“It’s been great so far. The two misses were probably or definitely on me. Other than that, all the other 10 guys, they’ve done exceptionally well and better than I could’ve ever asked. I can’t do my job without those guys and they’re doing a great job so we just have to continue to keep going.”

On playing Northwestern
“It’s been cool. It’s been close games, close and competitive. All three times we’ve played them, it’s been a close game, or since I’ve been here. They’re a great team and well coached. It just shows in the way that they play. I think knowing that it is probably going to come down to a kick eventually, whether it’s in the first or fourth quarter, it’s exciting for me and it really keeps me motivated throughout the week because you just never really know when a kick is going to be important. It’s a good thing to have to know it’s going to be a close game. It’s going to be exciting.”

On Mike Riley being a great coach
“It’s perfect for us because, he’s even keeled. He doesn’t get too high on the highs and too low on the lows. I think that translates to us really well because we know that football is one of those games where you can be down multiple scores at the end of the game but you can still come back and win. He’s certainly been through a lot of those types of situations. That experience that he has really passes down to us and we’re able to show it on the field as players. He’s been an unbelievable inspiration to all of us. He’s a great coach and we love to play for him.”

Source: Nebraska Athletics