As a senior in 2009, he had an outstanding spring game making a game-high seven tackles and two sacks, but academic problems eventually forced him to leave school.

After not being selected in the 2011 NFL draft, he signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League (AFL) on March 3, 2011, helping the team win ArenaBowl XXIV.

He worked out for the Houston Texans, New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles, before being signed as a free agent by the Indianapolis Colts on May 23, 2012 to play linebacker.

On October 24, 2012, the Dallas Cowboys signed him to their practice squad, where he was making progress by being named scout team player of the week and was receiving consideration for a move to the active roster at the time of his death.

About 2:21 am, Brent drove the car at high speed into an outside curb on Texas State Highway 114 outside Dallas, causing the vehicle to flip at least once and then come to rest in the middle of a service road.

The Cowboys stunned the Bengals with an improbable 20–19 come-from-behind victory that was decided in the closing seconds with a Dan Bailey 40-yard field goal.

[5] For the memorial service, Stacey Jackson (Brown's mother) requested Brent to meet with the family at the airport, to also ride and sit with them while at the event.

The team presented Jackson with the game ball of the 20–19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, along with a hard-hat award, which was given to players who did their job regardless of circumstance.