Brown done for the season
Published Oct. 30, 2007
Amid those celebrating in the Missouri locker room following their 42-28 win against Iowa State on Saturday was senior safety Pig Brown. Although he knew he had suffered an injury late in the fourth quarter, he was cheering with his teammates nonetheless.
But just an hour later, an exam revealed the worst: Brown, who was on track to being first team All-Big 12 this season, had torn his right Achilles' tendon, ending his college career just as it was finally taking off.
"It was kind of turning into something special," coach Gary Pinkel said of Brown's season during Monday's Big 12 teleconference.
Brown was not made available to the media on either Saturday or Monday, but Pinkel said losing him would be a tough blow.
"He's one of our leaders," he said. "To lose him at this point in the season is really tough."
Brown was third on the team in tackles with 70 and led the Tigers with eight tackles for losses, almost unheard of for a safety. He had surgery at Columbia Regional Hospital on Monday and was released later that day.
"You lose a guy that was running around, smashing people every two minutes," senior defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams said after Saturday's game. "It's hard to talk about, really."
The silver lining for the Tigers is that their pass defense, despite Brown's play, has been terrible statistically, so it can't get much worse.
The Tigers rank No. 107 nationally in pass defense and let Iowa State senior quarterback Bret Meyer throw for 237 yards on Saturday.
A year ago, MU started 7-1 and lost senior defensive end Brian Smith to a hip injury that also ended his college career.
The Tigers then lost four of their next five games to end the season.