Note: The following appears in the Georgia Southern football digital gameday guide, available HERE.
In January 2024, 18-year-old freshman linebacker Sammy Brown arrived on Clemson’s campus as a spring enrollee, boasting a five-star ranking, a No. 2 national ranking among linebackers and a No. 14 overall ranking from 247Sports. Brown chose the Tigers over Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and more than 30 other Power Four Conference programs.
Before arriving at Clemson, Brown had already earned the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top high school linebacker, and MaxPreps’ top all-around athlete award for his performance in football, wrestling and track. He joined a star-studded list of past winners that includes Derrick Henry and Patrick Mahomes.
Hailing from Commerce, Ga., Brown starred at Jefferson High School, where he played multiple positions, including linebacker, running back and punter. He finished his high school career with more than 5,000 all-purpose yards and 246 tackles, was named Georgia’s Mr. Football in 2023 and led Jefferson High School to a 13-1 record, a region championship and the AAAAA state semifinals. Off the field, he maintained a 4.0 GPA while developing aspirations of pursuing a career in the medical field.
Brown’s experience on both sides of the ball gave him a unique understanding of the game that he has carried with him at Clemson.
“Being a running back gives me an idea of how to play linebacker, because when I'm in there playing linebacker, I can go into the mind of that running back and understand what he's seeing, what the cut he's going to make.”
That understanding of the game gave Brown a foundation at Clemson, but nothing could fully prepare him for the speed and intensity of college football.
“The biggest thing was the adjustment to the speed and intensity of college football,” admitted Brown. “And then also going from being the best guy in high school to just another guy in college, it was definitely different.”
Despite the learning curve, Brown attacked practice head-on, embracing the challenge of competing at the college level while learning from the veteran players around him. Among those were former Clemson linebackers Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz, who Brown credits as key mentors during his early development.
“Another thing was learning how to run my own race and not comparing myself to Barrett and Wade, who were in that room at that time and running their race, because my race is going to be significantly different than those guys.”
Brown’s transition to Clemson extended beyond the gridiron. Coming to Clemson meant leaving his parents and family and learning how to navigate life away from home. While the adjustment was different, Brown quickly found a home within the program and developed strong relationships with his teammates.
“It was different, but it was fun. I had a lot of really great memories with a lot of the guys in my class being at Lightsey, and even those older guys like Wade and Barrett set a good example for me and were great leaders for me.”
Those relationships have become some of Brown’s favorite memories of his time at Clemson. Among them was a 34-31 victory over SMU in the 2024 ACC Championship Game, when Brown led the defense with a team-high 14 tackles and made several crucial plays in the Tigers’ victory.
“The best memories I can think of have always been with my teammates. The ACC Championship Game is up there…it was a great moment for our team. Being around all the guys and being able to celebrate in communion with everybody was an awesome experience.”
On the field, Brown’s production quickly matched the expectations that accompanied his arrival. In his first game at Memorial Stadium, he tallied nine tackles and helped the Tigers to a 66-20 victory over App State. Throughout his freshman season, Brown recorded multiple double-digit tackling performances and finished the year with 80 tackles and five sacks. He was third on the team in tackles, behind Woodaz and Carter, and earned ACC Defensive Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
During his sophomore season, Brown stepped into an expanded role and finished with 107 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, seven pass breakups and an interception. His performance earned him First-Team All-ACC honors.
Brown said one of the biggest differences between his first and second seasons was his growing understanding of Clemson’s defensive scheme.
“The biggest thing going from year one to year two was going from understanding what I'm doing to understanding what everybody's doing.”
Each year, each game and each snap has provided Brown with more experience and a deeper understanding of the linebacker position.
“The first year, I said, ‘What do I have on this call?’ And now, last year it was, ‘What is the defense that we're trying to run here?’ And then the next step in that is, ‘What are we trying to show here? And what are we trying to do with our disguise and our coverage?’”
That progression helped Brown transition from one of the youngest players in the linebacker room to one of its most experienced leaders. This season, he is embracing another challenge, becoming more vocal in his leadership style.
“Leadership is new to me. I’ve always had Barrett or Wade. It’s a new perspective. I lean on a couple of guys, like Will (Heldt) and others.”
Brown has learned that effective leadership requires more than simply knowing his own responsibilities.
“When you have 10 other guys, you have to know what they’re thinking. That builds confidence, knowing what the other guy is thinking.”
Brown has embraced the responsibility that comes with his new role.
“I've taken that role with a lot of pride, and I have a lot of thankfulness to be able to be in that position.”
That leadership has also been strengthened by the relationships Brown and his teammates built throughout the offseason. Brown said that Clemson’s defense made a conscious effort to develop chemistry across the entire unit rather than focusing only on position groups.
“One of the things that we were really intentional about this offseason was building relationships, not only within our units, within the linebacker room or the safety room, but within the entire defense, and then bigger than that, within the entire team.”
That camaraderie has created confidence this season.
“The biggest thing is how close we are. When we get out there, I know the other guys on the field are gonna have my back.”
Brown entered the season as a projected top-40 pick in the NFL draft, with plenty of individual accomplishments already on his resumé. However, individual accolades have not changed his approach. Instead, he sees each season as an opportunity to start over.
“The biggest motivation is to not be complacent. What I did in the past is not going to affect how I play this year. I need to take that next step forward and understand that. What I did last year is not going to affect what I do this year, so I’m resetting, refocusing and understanding I've still got to go out there and improve myself.”
That mindset extends beyond the gridiron. Brown described himself with one word, “intentional.”
“One thing that I pride myself in is being intentional in everything I do, whether it's football, academics or relationships, I try to be intentional in what I'm going to do.”
That intentionality extends to Brown’s life beyond football. This summer, he celebrated his engagement after proposing to his now-fiancée, Reagan Fulcher, in July while continuing to pursue his passion for the medical field.
A biological sciences major, Brown aspires to become a pediatrician and has immersed himself in children’s health services, completing multiple internships focused on pediatric work. He was also named to the All-ACC Academic Team and ACC Academic Honor Roll in each of his first two seasons.
“It's an opportunity for me to give back to the community around me because God has blessed me in so many ways, and they say when you are blessed, you need to bless others.”
When he is not focusing on academics, athletics and his other endeavors, Brown enjoys spending his free time outdoors, whether hunting, fishing or riding four-wheelers.
“If I'm not playing football, I'm in the woods doing something, anything where I can be in the woods enjoying God's creation. That’s what I'm going to be doing.”
For now, Brown’s attention remains on Clemson and the season ahead. As one of the most experienced players on the defense, he entered the year with a new level of responsibility and a team he believes is ready to compete.
“We're really hungry. We're putting our heads down and we're going to work.”
With a veteran presence in the locker room, increased chemistry across the defense and a commitment to staying focused on the task ahead, Brown is ready to embrace his role as one of the leaders of Clemson’s defense.