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Browning, Elliott seek roster spots with San Jose
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One can’t say that a reunion on the football field is a social gathering. Yet, when two former high school classmates are vying for a spot with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, each is getting to know the other again. Especially following a long absence.
After the first weeks of training camp for the upcoming 2008 AFL season, quarterback Brett Elliott and defensive lineman Andrew Browning, both Lake Oswego High School alums, are enjoying their experience on the smaller field.
After a football season (2000) together at the Oregon school, each found paths to the college level highlighted by some pinnacle moments. Elliott set NCAA Division III records and gained a national championship at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, (by way of the University of Utah program) and Browning was a starter for three seasons at Boise State, culminating in an upset over Oklahoma in the Jan. 1, 2007, Fiesta Bowl.
Browning (6-1, 268) signed with San Jose, which has won three ArenaBowl championships in the past six seasons, in November after his Boise State line coach Pete Kwiatkowski contacted the SaberCats’ offensive coordinator Terry Malley. “Coach knew someone who had played for San Jose 10 years ago and knew of coach Malley,” said Browning. “They brought me in for a workout and I signed shortly after that.”
Elliott’s agent in the Bay Area contacted the team and set up a workout. Malley liked what he saw, and since the ‘Cats had lost veteran backup Craig Whelihan to retirement, jumped at the chance to sign the 6-foot-3, 210 pound signal caller. “I had spoken to coach Malley on the phone in the past about the possibility of playing here,” Elliott said, who signed on Jan. 14.
Why would Elliott come to the Arena League after several camp stints with the San Diego Chargers, a year with the now-defunct NFL Europa, and having a chance to get back to the NFL? “I’ve always been intrigued by it (AFL),” said Brett, who had only seen the game on television and had never seen the game in person. He was reminded of the success stories of former AFL quarterbacks Kurt Warner, Paul Justin and Tommy Maddox. They all succeeded in the NFL, following time with the Iowa Barnstormers, Arizona Rattlers and the New Jersey Gladiators, respectively.
QUARTERBACK ENJOYING AFL GAME
“I really enjoy the game,” he said. “I was a bit apprehensive at first, but it has been interesting.” Elliott noted the pressure on the quarterback is immense in the Arena game, but has learned a lot from, not only coach Malley, but starting quarterback Mark Grieb, a 10-year veteran of the league out of UC-Davis. “Mark has been a great asset. He’s shown me the angles on the throws in this game that are quite a bit different (than on the big field).”
Coach Malley, who has been with San Jose since its inception in 1995, said Brett is “progressing nicely” since he has had to learn a different type of football in a smaller space, especially a totally different offense. “People do come after you in this game and Brett has handled it well,” he said. “He’s been very positive and he’s getting a good grasp of it (the game).”
Elliott gives a lot of credit for his improvement to long-time NFL quarterback coach John Ramsdell, who tutored Warner when he was with the St. Louis Rams. “He gave me an opportunity and I enjoyed that,” Brett said when Ramsdell was with the San Diego Chargers.
Playing in the final season (2007) of NFL Europa (with the Rein Fire) was quite an experience for the Lake Oswego native. “I thought it was great for young players; especially those that were borderline (NFL level) and from small colleges,” he added of the play which was at a higher level than most can imagine. He shared playing time with former University of Washington signal caller Cody Pickett. “It is an opportunity to develop and helps your confidence,” he said of the league in which Warner also played for one season.
“Just living over there (Germany) was unbelievable,” said Elliott. “I enjoyed the sites and a lot of the historic areas we visited.”
ELLIOTT SUCCESSFUL AT LINFIELD COLLEGE
Brett, however, said playing at Linfield College in McMinnville was “the best time of my life. We had a close-knit group that loved football. We even played 7-on-7 on our own a lot.” It was the NCAA Division III championship in his first season (junior year) that was the most exciting. The Wildcats defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor in a neutral-site championship in Salem, Virginia. “The best was flying home and realizing you were the best team in the country,” he said of the celebration and exuberance exhibited by the team.
At Linfield, Elliott started 23 of 24 games in two seasons, set nearly all the school’s passing records and still holds many at the NCAA Division III level. He had 8,614 career yards and threw an NCAA all-divisions record of 61 TD passes in his junior year, finishing with 110 in his career. Nearly AFL numbers on the twice-as-large outdoor field.
Before the Wildcat adventure, Elliott had taken his talent (2001) to the University of Utah where he was given a full-ride by then coach Urban Meyer (now at the University of Florida where he won a national championship in 2006). With the Utes he started six of eight games in 2002 and entered the 2003 season as the team’s starter but sustained a broken wrist during the team’s second game. Alex Smith, a Heisman Trophy finalist and No. 1 NFL overall-draft selection in 2005, replaced him. “I haven’t spoken to him in a long time,” said Elliott who considers Smith a friend. “If I make the team (San Jose), I definitely will reach out and call him.”
While Elliott, 25, has been battling for the No. 2 quarterback position against third-year backup Scott Rislov, Browning, who turned 24 at the end of January, is attempting to cement his place on a roster that will carry only 24 players. “There definitely is an adjustment from the outdoor game,” Browning, whose stock continues to rise as camp moves forward. “I’m impressed with the speed in which everything happens. It all happens in a lot tighter area.”
BROWNING NEARLY GIVES UP FOOTBALL
Before the SaberCats, Browning had attended a Detroit Lions mini-camp a year ago and had made it to the last day of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders’ pre-season camp. “I thought my playing days were over and I was considering a career in financial planning,” The Boise State standout said. “The Los Angeles Avengers contacted me, but they wanted me to play fullback.”
Browning considers himself a defensive lineman first. However, he said during the first week the SaberCats had put him on the offensive line of their “jumbo package” which features veteran lineman George Williams lining up at fullback and either running the ball or catching it in the flat. Coach Malley said “flexibility in your roster gives you more options” and Andrew could certainly provide that for the most successful organization in the past AFL decade.
Browning knows of success. Under head coach Chris Peterson, the Broncos went undefeated (13-0) and were a huge under-dog to the #8 Oklahoma Sooners at the new Glendale, Arizona, stadium. Leading 28-20 with 8:05 left in the 3rd period, the Sooners rallied behind running back Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) to tie the game at 35-35 at the end of regulation. In overtime, Boise went for a trick play that found running back Ian Johnson running in untouched for the two-point conversion.
After bowl losses in the two previous seasons to Louisville and Georgia, Browning said the team did not want to go out a loser and “we just believed we could win it (the Fiesta Bowl). I just wish we would have sustained the lead we had built up for three and one-half quarters. It was a kind of a family thing, we just stayed together and pulled it out. It was just the greatest feeling I’ve had.”
WIN OVER OKLAHOMA PINNACLE OF CAREER
The talented lineman started for three years, capping it off with five tackles and a half sack against the Sooners. He’s hoping that success will translate into a position with the winningest organization in the AFL. If it doesn’t, Andrew said he would continue his plans for a career in business. “I would like to do something that relates to sports, something like working for a sports (equipment) company.”
Both Elliott and Browning, who played only the one year together at Lake Oswego (2000) have great attitudes according to the SaberCats’ coaches. That will go along with the AFL team since chemistry and camaraderie are the two ingredients head coach Darren Arbet seeks in all his players. That turns to the success the team has had in the past few years.
NOTES YOU CAN’T MISS: The referee for the Fiesta Bowl game which Browning played in was none other than Bill LeMonnier, an eight-year AFL veteran referee who works the collegiate season in the Big 12.The NCAA Division III championship was the Alonzo Stagg Bowl XXII.Elliott and Browning never were on State championship teams in the State of Oregon. Browning’s 2002 team lost in the 4A finals 31-24 to Sheldon.
JOHN (HONDO) HAHN
Columnist – sanjosesabercats.com