With Tyson Campbell out with a hamstring injury, Montaric Brown has stepped up to fill in as cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although the Jaguars are on a two-game losing streak, Montaric Brown’s performance leaves no room for complaint. The Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns is where he stepped up to show his potential, even though the Jaguars lost 13-18. He managed an impressive number of 11 tackles in just one game, bringing his season total to 13 tackles.

The 25-year-old was born in Ashdown, Arkansas, to parents Danica Richard and Patrick Brown, on August 25th, 1999. Now a successful prospect in the NFL, he definitely has his mom to thank for the trajectory his life has taken. Montaric Brown recalls being big into baseball as a kid, growing up in Ashdown. He stayed kinda stubborn after his friends tried to egg him on and get into Little League football. It wasn’t until he had a conversation with his mom that he finally made his mind up about the sport.

We don’t know an awful lot about his biological dad Patrick Brown. He seems to still be living in Ashdown, but separated from Danica at some point before that, falling into financial troubles and declaring bankruptcy in 2009. Ashdown seems like a tough place to have grown up. Speaking of the town, Montaric says, “It’s either you’ve got a fast-food job or you play sports. I decided to play sports. I really focused on football and really stopped playing all sports and I just ran track and played football.”

His stellar performances at Ashdown High School saw him getting invited to the US Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio in 2016 when he was just 17 years old. He represented his East team well, getting in 3 tackles as they beat the West 27-17. He did, of course, make sure to invite his mother along when he was awarded the Dream Champion Award before the game (pictured above). Brown went on to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 2018-2021 before declaring for the NFL draft.

A real rags-to-riches story, and he’s not done yet

What Montaric Brown said about what Ashdown had to offer – either fast food or sports – guess it was true. Drafted in the 7th round in 2022 by the Jaguars, Montaric Brown bagged a 4 year $3,775,980 contract. And none of it would have been possible if Danica Richard hadn’t given him that shove early on. The rags to riches dream is only halfway there though.

With Tyson Campbell out for the moment, Montaric Brown will grab the opportunity to start with both hands. And with performances like he had against the Browns, more and more people are going to hear his name. It seems Ashdown had it in them to produce stars after all.

If you’d like to hear more about the latest talents in the NFL this season, be sure to check out our latest Think Tank Exclusive, featuring Doug Sanders