Brown uplifts locker room
LD Brown's positive energy is the lifeblood of the Cowboy program
STILLWATER — Anytime Claude Mathis heard a loud laugh bust out in his locker room, he knew the likely source: LD Brown.
Mathis coached Brown for three seasons each of football and track at DeSoto ( Texas) High School, and Mathis saw all sides of Brown's robust personality.
“He's a clown, now,” Mathis said. “You're gonna have some fun in the locker room with LD, I promise you that. It won't be a dull moment.
“But at the same time, he's very respectful. He knew when to hype it up and when to calm it down. He'd chill when he needed to chill, but he's a very exciting kid. He's one of the good ones.”
Brown's personality only flourished with age. Now a 23-year-old, fifthyear senior at Oklahoma State, Brown remains the
life of the locker room, and his positive energy has been valuable in a week like this, when the Cowboys are coming off a difficult Bedlam defeat.
OSU will try to bounce back against Texas Tech at 11 a.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium.
“He brings energy to the locker room,” senior linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga said. “He's a character, he's a funny dude. He's always in a good mood, always trying to bring people together. He just always has joy.”
Brown has had the biggest on-field role of his career this season. He's rushed for 395 yards on 70 carries, an average of 5.6 yards per attempt. And he's had a pair of 100- yard games in crucial moments against West Virginia and Kansas State.
His career has been a long and winding road. On the depth chart, he's been behind two players who have gone on to the NFL — Justice Hill and Chris Carson — and the last two seasons he's backed up a future pro in Chuba Hubbard.
A consummate team player, he stuck around Stillwater when others would have — and did — bail out for playing time at other schools.
All those years when he was buried on the depth chart, Brown still brought electricity to the locker room.
“He's a great person, full of energy,” senior linebacker Devin Harper said. “He'll put a smile on your face, no matter how bad your day's going.”
Brown isn't just silly for the sake of being silly. He finds importance in his locker room role.
“It's just about being able to talk to your teammates, getting to know them,” Brown said. “Having fun, joking. When I leave, I want guys to understand that college is gonna be what you make it. Make it fun. Be interactive. Have a bond and be a brotherhood.”
One way or another, Brown wants to be playing football next season. The NCAA ruled earlier this year that no athlete would lose a year of eligibility for participating in fall sports, so Brown is free to come back for a sixth season if he chooses. But he says he hasn't made up his mind whether to take that opportunity or pursue a pro career.
However, as a sports media major, Brown one day wants to take his personality to the microphone.
“I wanna do play-by-play one day,” Brown said. “That'll be something I really wanna do when I hang up the cleats.”