I got into coaching believe it or not in high school. 

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Before the first game of my senior year the defensive coach, Joe Donnelly came up to me and said you’ll be running the offense and calling the plays today because our head coach, Tom Finan had fallen ill. The opportunity to call all of the offensive plays as a high school quarterback was unheard of in 1981 and even today! 

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After assistant coaching with my former high school coach Tom Finan at Cardinal Ritter HS. I was fortunate enough to get hired by the legendary soccer coach, Vince Drake. He hired me to head football and head baseball at Aquinas-Mercy High School in Florissant, Missouri (1999-2001). 

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More fortune came my way when hired by another legendary high school coach, Corey Johnson at Hazelwood East HS (2001-2008). There he entrusted me with coordinating his offense during the summer months and I served mostly as his assistant coach in the booth on Saturdays. My luck continued when I adopted the offensive coordinator job before the 2008 football season. 

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I am so proud to have coached a host of talented players at Hazelwood East HS. Such great character kids like Andre Morris a St. Louis North County police officer and Daymon McGhee, head security officer at Hazelwood East HS. And high profile players like Christian Kirksey active player for the Green Bay Packers and former NFL punt returner Walter Powell are just to start with. 

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As a former high school quarterback I took pride in coaching the position.  Hazelwood East HS had its share of standout quarterbacks. Starting with QB Dwayne Buchanan, Tennessee State he was a member of the 2001 Missouri 6A State Championship Runner-up team and was probably the most athletic quarterback that I ever coached. 

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Next to mention is QB Eric Palmer, Tuskegee University who was probably the smartest quarterback that I ever coached. Another standout dual threat quarterback Quinton Winston. Two more standout quarterbacks on my list are 2004 Missouri State Championship runner-up QB Carl 'Man-Man' Word and his younger brother QB/FL Brandon Word a.k.a. 'Goo." Certainly can’t forget my son E.J who was a part of the 2008 Missouri State Championship team.

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Don’t let me leave out running backs coached like number one in my book collegiate star running backs Thomas Merriweather from the Miami-Ohio Red Hawks. Next, Arkansas State running back William ‘Big Will’ Anderson and 2008 Missouri State Championship running back Juan Owens. 

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Probably the two toughest football players that I coached at Hazelwood East HS are star DE Brandon Kirksey a.k.a. 'Bubbles' from the University of Minnesota and his younger cousin Christian Kirksey, University of Iowa all-American linebacker.

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As a former All-Missouri Valley conference receiver at the University of Tulsa. I know a little about playing receiver too. And boy have I come across some dynamic receivers over my decade of coaching. 

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Starting first with ‘CB’, Chris Brooks, University of Nebraska standout and Tampa Bay Buccaneer. I remember Chris running on a double reverse play against Howell Central HS which fooled the entire stadium and can you believe that kid is still running in my thought. 

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Another standout receivers that comes to mind is Chris Nelson. As a DB he once locked down the University of Missouri, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs Jeremy Maclin in a classic District show-down against Kirkwood HS.  A budding star on Nick Cannon's Wild n' Out was another talented receiver from the 2004 Missouri State Championship runner-up team: Gerald ‘the Hit Man’ Fulton. This kid had hands, feet and way to get open that was unmatched in high school. 

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Two receivers to remember from the 2008 state team were ‘Big-Game’ Terrell Downing who with no time remaining on the clock caught the game winning touchdown to give Hazelwood East HS its third ever state championship. 

And lets not forget Walter Powell a talented athlete that caught a 4th down pass against Pattonville HS in District play that saved our Championship season. 

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And let me add defensive back slash running back slash punt returner Marco “the Jet” Paine, Miami-Ohio Red Hawk. In addition was extremely athletic Don Shumpert, University of Iowa receiver that ran a sideline route with great precision and made a crucial reception in final drive of the 2008 State Game. 

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Another electric jet-sweep threat was Chris ‘C Weave’ Weaver. So many talented receivers to remember that I wouldn't want to forget Courtney Ward a tall receiver that loved to go deep. 

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So many other Hazelwood East football players that I didn’t coach directly that deserve mentioning: like star collegiate receiver Brandon Williams from the University of Wisconsin Badgers and San Francisco 49ers. 

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Michigan State slash University of Missouri linebacker David Richard, who was probably the most talented athlete on the 2001 State runner up team. There were more standout football players on the 01’ state runner-up team worth honoring: DE James Cooper and TE Robert Smith. 

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Another tremendous football player from Hazelwood East High School that I didn’t coach directly but won my respect is linebacker Aaron Whittington, UCLA. When I think of Aaron I think about his wonderful family that contributed so much to the football program and his generous mother who often fed the coaches. 

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With so many great memories abound I would like to recognize the 2001 JV Football team at East HS that went 10-0. 

While Coach Johnson’s varsity team was state runner-up that same season. Never want to forget OL Chris Fort R.I.P. and TE Kyle Franklin for running that throw-back TE screen and Phillip Tillman from Rolla S&T consistently getting those 2 point conversions running Z motion left, fake USC Sweep left, Z reverse right. 

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Thanks for the memories guys. Stay blessed Coach Brown