He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft.
Brien played in the NFL for seven teams: San Francisco, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, New York Jets, and Chicago.
[citation needed] Brien attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California, where he was a placekicker for the Spartans' football team his senior year.
[2] The 49ers, led by Steve Young, went on to win Super Bowl XXIX over the San Diego Chargers by a score of 49–26, a game in which Brien missed his only field goal attempt, a 47-yard try before halftime.
[3] Brien nonetheless set the record for most PATs during a single postseason with 17 (on 18 attempts) en route to earning a Super Bowl ring that season.