No matter how his football career turns out, Mike Brown will have no regrets.

The California native didn’t play a snap of high school football due to a medical condition but received clearance a few years later and made the most of it during his time at the now defunct Eastern Arizona. While he was certainly raw on the field, he immediately caught some attention.

“It was my first time but people said I was naturally gifted and I started blowing people up,” he said.

From there, he started to refine his technique at the position and when you combine that with his size and nasty streak on the field it made for an intriguing prospect. West Virginia, along with many others, would eventually come calling on the recruiting trail and after signing with the Mountaineers he only continued his upward on-the-field trajectory.

Brown played only 10 snaps in 2018 and then was uneven with his play the following year as he adjusted to a bigger role. That changed in 2020 when he was one of the most consistent players on the entire offense across his 712 snaps at right guard with strong grades in both run and pass blocking.

Now, Brown hopes to take his football career a level higher to the NFL and so far he has received positive feedback from scouts on not only his play but potential. It’s a process that’s allowed him to get to know NFL scouts and an understand of what he does well.

“They were saying they were shocked at how far I’ve gotten in football with as little time as I’ve been playing the game. They say for a guy who’s been playing for only four years you have so much to grow on and you’re playing at one of the best levels,” he said.

Tipping the scales at nearly 340-pounds, Brown is equipped with plus athleticism for his size and it’s something that caught the eyes of teams in attendance at the West Virginia pro day event. The game seems to come natural for Brown, who is able to smoothly operate on the field.

Along with physical attributes, something that has been a trademark of Brown has been his smile. The big man always seems to be having a good time and enjoys playing the game of football.

“I’m always having fun. I’ll be dancing on the field all the time. I love the game, it’s fun,” he said. “It’s going to end someday but as long as I put the pun and excitement in it there will be no regrets.”

Brown spent his college career at guard, but teams have been looking at him at center as well and he’s been doing a lot of snapping to prepare for the role. The big man is keeping an open mind about the process and hopes to have a chance to continue his short career, but understands it could be the end.

Still, Brown is fighting for the chance to continue to play at the highest level and showcase that he’s still got more to give the game.

“I definitely am still fighting to play,” he said.

Brown, father to a young daughter, has struggled at times with being away from his family preparing for the next step but understands by doing this he can secure not only her future but hers.

It hasn’t been a long ride in football for Brown, but it’s been a rewarding one either way. And now he’s hoping to keep the ride going into the future.

“I love football. I love my baby. And if I love them together, I can do them both,” he said.

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