The only son of a Washington, D.C., police officer,[1] Brown attended DeMatha Catholic High School and then went to University of Maryland, College Park and played defensive back.
Shula cut three other cornerbacks—rookie David Holmes, his fourth-round pick, and veterans Don McNeal and Bobby Watkins–but Brown made the team.
[7] Brown played one year for the Arizona Cardinals, coached by Vince Tobin, finishing second in NFC East Division.
[8] The Cardinals won the NFC Wild Card game against (Cowboys) 20-7 despite being called the greatest fluke teams of all time because they went 9-7 despite getting outscored by their opponents 378–325.
[9][circular reference][10] Brown signed with the Detroit Lions July 19, 1999, when Bobby Ross was the head coach and the following year under Gary Moeller.