Article on Carolina Panther Everette Brown, who was a first round pick this year due to his combination speed and work ethic:The soccer games were finished that Saturday for Everette Brown and his younger brother Tobias. Now it was time for their weekly treat: lunch at McDonald's on the way home.
But as their father, Odell, started the car for the short drive from Wilson to Stantonsburg in Eastern North Carolina, he turned to the boys. He was angry about what he thought was a poor effort given by Everette and Tobias – both still in elementary school – in their games that morning.
“If you can't go out there and push yourselves on the soccer field, you don't deserve McDonald's today,” he said. “If you're going to lay back like that, you can spend your Saturdays at home cutting the grass and working in the yard.”
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nstead, Odell took the boys to a field next to their grandmother's house.
“Y'all ain't tired,” he said. “So get out there and run!”
Since that punishing afternoon, going all-out was never again an issue with Everette Brown. In fact, his full-force effort on every play as a defensive end at Florida State was a trait much-admired by the Carolina Panthers, who made him their top choice in April's NFL draft (in the second round, the 43rd player chosen overall).
And if hearing his named called by his home-state team two weeks ago culminated one big day in
Brown's life, it had no more influence on him than that Saturday years ago.
“Oh, man, I remember it like it was yesterday,” Brown said. “My brother and I were walking around the soccer field like we didn't want to be there. It showed. My dad didn't let it go unknown that he wasn't happy.
“That's carried over for me. Every time I step on the field, I give it everything.
“No matter what.”
