KEENEY’S KORNER – Offensive Player of the Year
By Mike Keeney
Contributing Writer
Nimitz High School head football coach Cornelius Harmon knew he had something special in his young quarterback Albert Brown. And he was right.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Brown earned the starting job as the Cougars starting quarterback during spring training and Harmon and the team never looked back, or regretted handing the most important position on the team to such a young player.
Brown rewarded Harmon’s faith in his by passing for 2,303 yards, 20 touchdowns, 437 rushing yards and 11 more TDs on the ground. Not too bad for a first-year starter on a Class 6A football team.
Brown also helped lead the Cougars to eight wins and a second straight berth playoff berth.
Brown’s all-around solid season earned him the Northeast News’ Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Harmon said it didn’t take him long to realize he had a keeper in Brown.
“The moment I saw him on our campus (Brown attended Nimitz Ninth Grade School as a freshman), I knew he was going to be our starting quarterback. I knew that before he ever played a game.”
Harmon said Brown has a poise about him that most 14-year-olds don’t have and that helped him earn the respect of his older teammates.
“Albert is a tremendous leader,” Harmon said. “He’s eager to want to be a good player and prove everybody wrong. He plays at a very high level and he led by his actions. He proved he had the overall ability to play well at the 6A level.”
Harmon said he expect Brown to work hard in the offseason to be an even better signal caller when the 2024 season starts.
“He just needs to get better at the QB position,” Harmon said. “He has all the intangibles that a you have to have to play the position. He has arm strength and mobility. And he’s a sneaky runner. We found that out as the season progressed.”
Harmon said he’s excited to see what Brown can do in his next two years as his starting quarterback.
When asked if he was worried that Brown would rest on his laurels, Harmon said that not in Brown’s makeup.
“No, not at all,” Harmon said. “You have to remember he’s still a baby. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s only going to get better as he grows and matures. Albert is a tremendous person. We never have to worry about his grades. He’s a well rounded kid. He plays drums at his church and when he graduates in two years, he will be in the top 10 of his class. He’s a real leader.”
The likable Brown said he thought he had a “pretty good” season and that he’s ready to work hard in the offseason and spring training to get become an even better quarterback.
“I need to work on my speed, my deep ball and my overall ability,” Brown said. “I plan on working hard this offseason.”
And he has set a lofty goal for himself and his teammates heading into the next two years.
“I want to win a state championship,” Brown said. “If you aren’t playing for a state title, you shouldn’t be playing football. I want to come home with a ring before I leave here.”
Brown, who said his favorite NFL QBs are Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, said he knew he had to earn the respect of his teammates when he was named the Cougars’ starting quarterback.
“Everybody was older than me, so I had to earn the older guys’ respect. As time went on, I think I earned their respect,” he said. Indeed.