Barring something completely unforeseen, Derrick Brown is a day away from hearing his name read early on in the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Auburn standout is one of the best interior defensive line prospects to make the jump to the NFL in some time, one who spent four years as a productive member of the Tigers en route to capping off his collegiate career as a unanimous All-American selection and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, Brown is ready to start the next chapter in his NFL career. He has his eyes on things like winning the Super Bowl and being considered for a spot in the Hall of Fame some day, but in the meantime, Brown is enjoying the process. And of course, he, like every other draft-eligible player, is ready to see where he’s going to begin his NFL career.
Before that happens, though, Brown say down with Uproxx Sports through the USAA to talk football, how Auburn shaped him, his upbringing in a military family, and how a guy revered for being kind off the field can be so dangerous on it.
Has it hit you that you’re about to become an NFL player or are you just enjoying the process for now?
Yeah, I’m just rolling with the flow. There’s a lot of things I think about, a lot of things that’ve got to be done before Draft Night, something new every day.
What’s the situation for the draft? Having family over? Doing anything special? Keeping it kinda low-key?
I’m gonna stay distant, I’ve still got to follow the 10-people rule, but you know, it’s something different for sure. I’m gonna have my family here and we’re gonna make a good time of it.
What’s the process been like, especially without in-person workouts and interviews?
I don’t really know the process to be any other way. I’ve just adjusted to this and accepted it for what it is.
You were a top-10 recruit, had a decorated high school career, dozens of schools wanted you. Which was more hectic: getting recruited or everything that goes into getting drafted and why?
When you get drafted, you don’t need to make a decision, you leave it in other people’s hands, it’s a lot different. When you get recruited, you’ve done those things that you need to do, and now you have choices to pick from, and it’s something that … you talk to GMs, head coaches, and owners to make decisions and you kinda leave it at that, you don’t have to worry about it.
You spent four years at Auburn, how did Auburn prep you for this moment?
Auburn prepped me for this moment because the things that I was able to take from home with me — the hard work and the dedication. Then I get to the program there, I can’t be more thankful for the opportunities that I had at Auburn that led me to where I am today. My coaches, I really took in knowledge from them, teachers, academic advisors, everybody played a part in me being where I am today and I’m really thankful for them.
I wanna talk about your game a bit. What is it about Derrick Brown’s game that makes it so one scouting report I read called you “one of the most complete interior defensive line prospects to pass through the draft process in recent memory?”
I refuse to be stopped, no matter the situation, I’m just dominating, I keep doing what I do, no matter the situation. I might be struggling, but I’m damn sure not gonna stop, and it’s one of those things that I keep going, keep going, keep going. My mindset is I never quick and I go through every single day, I don’t ever quit anything that I’ve ever done.
You played four years, what is the biggest difference, just in terms of football, between freshman year Derrick Brown and NFL Draft pick Derrick Brown?
This Derrick Brown definitely knows how to watch film. It’s something that I’ve learned at Auburn and something that I’m extremely aware of, being able to adjust to everything that was going on and also just being able to learn everything. It was crazy, the amount I’ve grown as a player, as a person, through Auburn is absolutely just mind-blowing.
Who’re the guys, whether they’re in the NFL or other guys around college football, who you like watching the most and you see things and go “that’s something I want to add to my bag of tricks”?
Literally every single person I’ve ever watched. I watch guys like Fletcher Cox, Ndamukong Suh, Chris Jones, Aaron Donald, so many different styles, types of players. Just trying to take something from everybody and just trying to add that tool to your bag, all those guys know well what they do, and just imagine if you can take one thing from each of them and add it to your game. It’ll definitely show success over time.
Of all the tools in your bag, what’s the one you think you do the best?
I think I’m able to push the line of scrimmage back, but also be able to, in the pass rush, be able to get pressure on the quarterback and be able to push through.
Auburn has put a bunch of dudes into the NFL recently, have a great tradition of sending guys to the NFL. Anyone in particular who you’ve spoken to about life in the league?
I talk to my former teammates, they tell you it’s all business. It’s a lot different than college, it’s football 24/7. You’ll enjoy it, but at the end of the day, you’ve gotta treat it like it’s a job.
So I’m getting ready to talk to you and I read up on you and you seem like a very nice guy, and then I toss your tape on and you do some things that are just mean. Where does that edge come from and how do you tap into that on gamedays?
I play with a lot of pride. Like I said, growing up, my dad being in the service, we just didn’t accept being mediocre. So when it comes to doing everything that I do, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking the guy you see doing things off the field is the same guy that you’re gonna get on the field, and that ain’t necessarily the case, because when I’m on the field on Saturdays, I turn it on and I turn it all the way up. It’s just something that I’ve been accustomed to and going forward, that’s how I plan to keep doing it. I’m focused on my play. It’s a switch, and there’s no turning it off when it’s on.
Inow you’re here with USAA and your dad was in the service, could you tell me which branch and how long he served for?
Yeah, four years with the Army Airborne, then he was in the National Guard.
How did having that upbringing shape you and get you to the point you’re at today?
My dad raised us strict, but he was never really strict, he was a fun parent. But when it came to certain things, we knew there was time for play and a time to be serious. Growing up, there were things that him and my mom didn’t take lightly, whether it was school, whether it was football, basketball, anything we did, it was push push push push push. Now you see this, and you see the moment of why this was coming in handy, my parents never allowed me to quit on anything, so when things started to get hard, my mindset is never, “Man, I don’t need this anymore, I don’t wanna do this.” It’s, “How can I get through this? What do I need to do to improve?” And I think that’s just been the beneficial thing I’ve taken from my upbringing.
Last question, I found a story from before you got to Auburn where your mom said “I just know that if it’s something Derrick believes in and wants to do he will excel in it. That’s the type of kid he is.” In that spirit, what do you want to achieve in your NFL career?
I always told me dad growing up I don’t want to be a guy who just gets there, I wanna be a guy whose name is in contention to go to Canton, Ohio one day. That gold jacket, I sit there and think about that. Definitely, also being able to win a Super Bowl, those things that I’m gonna push and do, try to give my all. And I think that my mindset going in, I’ll have to adjust and learn, but I’m ready to soak it all in and be able to be the most dominant player I want to be.
