Family, focus, football.
Colorado State football’s Vince Brown II emerged as a clear contender for the starting tight end position just a week before the Rams’ season opener. The other potential main contributor at the position, Jaxxon Warren, is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery and won’t play in the 2024 football season.
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Since the departure of star Dallin Holker, a door has opened for a new leading man in a growing list of competent tight ends from CSU.
A transfer from College of DuPage, Brown was tasked with transitioning from wide receiver to tight end in just his second season with CSU. Such a transformation required serious physical and mental adaptations. On top of that, he was recently met with the opportunity of a lifetime: becoming a father.
“Now it’s like, football is bigger than just me,” Brown said. “I have to provide for my family and then all my family members who helped me to get up to this point. I want to be great for them.”
For Brown, football and family go hand in hand. Coaches and peers have helped him develop as an athlete and a person, but his fiancee and family made everything worth it.
CSU’s tight end coach, James Finley, witnessed Brown’s devotion to his people throughout his dynamic time with the team.
“He loves his fiancee,” Finley said. “He’s excited about his daughter that’s on the way, but that’s the biggest thing with Vince — his fiancee and his mom. He loves his dad, too, but his mom — she’s everything to him, and he’s a mama’s boy.”
With his loved ones at his back, Brown now juggles two big tasks in the coming months — most immediately, the first of his regular season games as a tight end.
The 6-foot-6 pass-catcher put on close to 35 pounds in the offseason — something his coaches requested from him. During training camp, Brown adjusted to the physicality of his new role. Tight ends are often described as a hybrid between a wide receiver and an offensive lineman, so it’s almost like learning half of a new position.
“The biggest transition from wide receiver to tight end is definitely the blocking part,” Brown said. “When it comes to getting in there with the big boys and blocking the (defensive ends), you got to have that effort, that dog in you, to actually go in there and get your clothes dirty a little bit.”
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Brown isn’t alone in his metamorphosis. Warren and fellow tight end Mason Muaau both came into the program with different roles but ultimately ended up competing in the same group.
“I feel like we’re not selfish,” Muaau said. “We care about each other — care about each other’s dreams. Everybody wants to go to the league.”
As one of the most experienced players in his position group, Brown has naturally evolved as a leader. His two years in a junior college program allowed him to develop physically and gain starting experience.
“He’s taken a leadership role — him and Pete Montini,” Finley said. “Like, today, practice wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t where we wanted to be. Then Vince stepped in and said something to the tight ends — just a little something after practice — which was good.”
Being a role model is something Brown will likely keep on his mind, especially with a baby on the way.
However, becoming a leader requires help along the way. Brown relied on his religion to help him through recent dynamic times. As a result, coping with adversity now comes naturally.
“I feel like everything happens for a reason,” Brown said. “Just staying locked in and just always focusing. Even though it is a lot of weight on my shoulders, I don’t feel the pressure.”
For Brown, there’s nothing to worry about. Along with his mental strength, his dedicated preparation and hard work have yielded confidence in himself and his abilities in football.
“Other people say pressure is not knowing what you’re going to eat the next day or how you’re going to provide for your family,” Brown said. “This just is a sport we play.”
As CSU football kicks off, the team will finally have an opportunity to demonstrate the cohesion they’ve been working on all offseason. Players will be tested individually and also as a complete unit. The Rams will have to lean on each other and trust without hesitation.
“I learned a lot from Vince, you know,” Muaau said. “So looking forward, this is an older guy to me. I look up to him a lot because he (has) been here. He (has) done everything.”
Brown currently sits atop the depth chart for the Rams. Barring any setbacks, the senior will have many more opportunities than he did last season.
It’s time to see what he can do.
“It’s really bigger than just me,” Brown said. “And I tell myself that every day, like, this football game is bigger than just me. I have to go out and provide for everybody.”
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
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