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ASAPSports Interview with Miami Dolphins' Ronnie Brown
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Thanks to Frank Supovitz, SVP of Special Events for the NFL, Greg Aiello, Vice President of Public Relations of the National Football League, and Leslie Hammond, VP of Media Relations for the NFL, I was able to cover the 2005 NFL Draft. Here's my account - Zennie Abraham, Chairman and CEO, Sports Business Simulations.
2005 NFL DRAFT
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
April 23, 2005
RONNIE BROWN
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Q. Are you surprised at your LSU coaching director?
RONNIE BROWN: I am, not at the LSU coach, it's the Miami Dolphins, period.
Listening to all of the rumors that have been circulating and everything that
everyone's been talking about as far as the draft situation, and no one really
knowing who they were going to pick.
Q. Do you think that Saban had some insight into your game, having played in
that same conference?
RONNIE BROWN: I think so. I think that was a positive, being in the same
conference with Coach Saban and him seeing some of the things I was capable of
doing as a running back, so it created a better situation for myself.
Q. Has he spoken to you at all about what the fit will be in his offense?
RONNIE BROWN: Before the announcement, he called or whatever, and I spoke
with him on the phone. He just said he was looking forward to me coming down
there and I was looking forward to going down there as well. Hope it's going to
be a good situation.
Q. Can you talk about how it feels to have you and potentially two other guys
drafted in the first round from the Auburn backfield?
RONNIE BROWN: It says a lot, I guess, about our team and the way the rest of
the school is going as far as football and hopefully we can keep that going and
the tradition at Auburn. It just says a lot good the guys that they recruited in
Auburn, to come here to try to be good character guys as well as good football
players.
Q. Can you talk about the conversations you had with your agent at the table
when you were sitting in that room?
RONNIE BROWN: I think for the most part we were just trying to keep an open
mind to all of the situations and all of the things that were possible of
happening as far as going between 2 and whatever it is. I think we just were
talking about that situation and really trying not to get locked into one
spot.
Q. Can you just describe your emotions when you heard them say, "Select
Ronnie Brown".
RONNIE BROWN: It was a relief but I was excited, also. It's been a dream of
mine to play NFL football and for me to be in a situation like this, not being a
starter and going through some different situations and playing with a guy like
Carnell Williams, it's definitely a great situation and I'm looking forward to
what's going to happen in Miami.
Q. How familiar are you with what happened last year and the Ricky Williams
situation?
RONNIE BROWN: I'm pretty familiar with the situation as far as the way things
were introduced to the media or whatever. So I don't think that it will be a
determining factor of how I do at Miami, so I try not to worry about
that.
Q. Comfortable with those guys on the offensive line blocking for
you?
RONNIE BROWN: I am. I think they have been working hard in the off-season and
they have heard the rumors about the offensive line situation. I think that's a
little bit of motivation for them.
Q. What's your major in Auburn? What are you studying?
RONNIE BROWN: I graduated in communications.
Q. Do you have a place picked out where Carnell is going to buy you
dinner?
RONNIE BROWN: I'm looking forward to it, so if anybody knows of any expensive
places, give me some ideas.
Q. 21.
RONNIE BROWN: All right. Where's that at?
Q. 52nd Street.
RONNIE BROWN: Maybe we have to come up here. He can pay for the trip,
too.
Q. Because you were such a big factor in the Auburn passing game in college,
that helped you become the second overall pick?
RONNIE BROWN: I think it did, playing with a guy like Carnell and pushing
myself to the limit and going out and competing with a guy like Carnell, it has
been helping me and I think the situation was just meant to be for the both of
us to be there, and they created opportunity for both of us. We got to showcase
our talents as far as receiving and lining up in different positions on the
field.
Q. He's going to Florida, too.
RONNIE BROWN: That means we're still going to be close. Don't be surprised if
y'all see us together.
Q. Did you ever joke around about geography? Did you kid around about who is
going to windup in Minneapolis or Green Bay? Playing in the South, was that a
factor?
RONNIE BROWN: Not really. We knew it was possible, Cleveland and Chicago were
both in the Top-5 and we were both hoping things would work out for us. Think
for the most part, both of us have a passion for the game and it's not just
before you go, it's what your intentions are and we both wanted to play football
and be successful on that level. So, whether it's warm or cold, still have to
play football and that's what you get paid to do.
Q. What are your goals as a player for the first year?
RONNIE BROWN: I haven't really set any. I just want to go in, learn the
system as early as possible and get down there and introduce myself to the guys
and try to get that relationship going to where they can put trust in me as a
running back and I can go in and do everything that's possible to be successful
on that level, whether it's going in and being a backup, but I definitely look
forward to the situation of getting to be out there on the field and me and
Carnell having that situation that we've had.
Q. When are you going to get in touch with him, now that he's been picked,
will you get in touch with him later today?
RONNIE BROWN: Probably as soon as I get done with all the media stuff, I'll
give him a call, if he doesn't call me first.
Q. Who was more nervous at your table, you or your agent?
RONNIE BROWN: My agent. He's definitely a little fidgety. I asked him for a
piece of gum and he almost broke the pack trying to get it out.
(Laughter).
Q. Who is the player you admired most growing up?
RONNIE BROWN: Barry Sanders.
Q. As a running style, are you even comparable with him?
RONNIE BROWN: Not really. I think I'm a little bigger than him. He was a
little shiftier, but the things he did and, you know, they say his offensive
line wasn't that good, and he still made the best of his situation and went into
it with a positive mind and was able to be successful.
Q. For fans that have not seen you play much, can you compare your
style?
RONNIE BROWN: I try not to for the simple fact that I set goals for myself
and I try to go in and establish myself, and rather than trying to live up to
things other guys do in the NFL. What they do to be successful is probably a
different situation for me to be successful on that same level. What works for
them may not work for me.
Q. The pass has been big in the NFL but now we are seeing running backs in
the first few picks, what does it say about the importance of the ground
game?
RONNIE BROWN: It's important. I think we've seen that with our team last
year, we were unable to establish a great running game so our passing game
struggled. This season we were able to come in and get that ground game
established and Jason was able to be successful and do some of the things he's
definitely been capable of doing over the last couple of years, and I think a
lot of people have seen that now that we did establish that.
Q. Do you think success in the NFL is still about running the ball
well?
RONNIE BROWN: I think so. I think it starts there. If you can't run the ball,
then teams can just sit back in zones and do whatever they want to on the
defensive side of the ball.
Q. Can you talk about what it feels like to have three running backs picked
in the Top-5 in the first round?
RONNIE BROWN: I think it just says a lot about this class as far as the
running back position. A lot of guys are capable of going in and being the No. 1
guy as far as college. That's where we were all successful, on that level, and I
think it just says a lot about how hard we've worked and how important the
running back position is.
Q. Any doubt in your mind that come opening day, you'll be the starting
running back for the Miami Dolphins?
RONNIE BROWN: Nah, I never doubt myself.
Q. You mentioned Sanders was your idol and he left the game on his own terms,
is that one of the reasons you admire the man?
RONNIE BROWN: Not really. Just his character as a football player. He always
had a good persona on and off the field, and he dealt well with both
on-the-field situations and off-the-field, and he created an opportunity for
himself to be successful, like I said, dealing with the offensive line
situations. He may not have had the best offensive line, but he was going to go
out there and his passion for the game was definitely going to help him be
successful.
Q. Who is your pick for offensive Rookie of the Year?
RONNIE BROWN: Ronnie Brown. (Laughter).
Q. Will it be in your mind at all that Ricky Williams, wherever he is, could
decide to come back and play again?
RONNIE BROWN: Not at all. I'm going to go down there with an open mind as far
as myself going in and establishing a position on the team. If that happens then
we'll have to deal with that situation when it gets here, but I'm going to look
forward to going in and doing everything that I can do to be successful.
Q. Just talk about this: Is the final statement that coming back last year
was a good move? Just talk about that decision, coming back and getting your
degree and then getting the No. 2 pick.
RONNIE BROWN: I think everybody is seeing the results of that. I definitely
have reaped all of the benefits of coming back, and it was definitely probably
one of the better situations and better decisions I've made in my life, deciding
to come back, as far as some of the things we did at Auburn and some of the
accomplishments and accolades we received as a team, for myself just to be in
this position that I'm in right now.
Q. Immediately after the season, a lot of people thought that Cedric had a
better resume, had played all the time, and people thought Cadillac, because he
started ahead of you, might be considered a better player. Do you elevate
yourself beyond those guys? Does it put pressure on you that because they played
more that you have to prove something here?
RONNIE BROWN: Not really. It's just added motivation for myself. I think all
of the pressure is on them to produce the last couple of years, and he's
definitely going to be one of the top guys. He's perceived as that, as well as
Carnell Williams. So I think the pressure is for him to be successful and for
myself, just sit back and relax and use that as motivation and help myself to be
motivated for every situation I come in contact with.
Q. What do you think elevated you past those guys in the off-season?
RONNIE BROWN: It was a lot of things as far as probably character, not saying
that those guys don't have any character, but I guess as far as going in and the
way I handled the situation at Auburn and dealing with a situation like that,
just coming in and still using that motivation to still be successful through
the circumstances that I went through.
End of FastScriptsÖ.
NFL Draft Part One
| NFL Draft Part Two
| NFL Draft Part Three
| NFL Draft Part Four
| NFL Draft Part Five
| NFL Draft Part Six
| NFL Draft Part Seven
