He was selected with the eighth pick of the second round of the 2000 NFL draft out of the University of Nebraska by the Chicago Bears.

Mike Brown graduated from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1996, where he played both football and baseball.

In football, he was an All-State choice and ranked the top defensive back prospect in the country by SuperPrep, and named Arizona Player-of-the-Year by every major publication.

In baseball, he played center field and was an All-State choice as a senior, after batting .426, and posting 27 stolen bases.

As a junior, he set Nebraska single-season record for tackles by a defensive back with a career-high 102 and was named to all-Big 12 first-team.

[5] In 2001, he had two memorable performances, during which he returned two interceptions for two consecutive overtime wins,[7] making him the first player in league history to accomplish the feat.

[8] In Week 7, Brown intercepted a pass that Terrell Owens bobbled and returned it for a game-winning touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers.

The ailment forced him to undergo surgery, and sent him to Bears' injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

He made the NFL transitions much easier for his fellow safeties Chris Harris and Danieal Manning by making sure they were in the correct positions.

The restructured deal would protect Chicago if Brown got hurt for the fourth time in his career.