My Carolina Experience: Jason Brown
January 28, 2015 | Football
My Carolina Experience: Jason Brown
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Former Carolina football player Jason Brown's life has been far from ordinary. He has faced challenges head on and conquered them. Now, he stands apart from many as a man on a mission to help the less fortunate in our society. It all started when he was looking for a school in the early 2000s.
“Coach Ken Browning originally recruited me to Carolina and he was the most down to earth and wonderful person,” says Brown. “He came into our home and earned our trust and let my parents know that if I was down in Chapel Hill, I was going be in good hands.
“I was looking for the place that had it all – not just athletics but a great combination of academics and social life. Carolina had the best combination of all three.
“Eventually head coach John Bunting came to visit and I just remember knowing that I was going to be a part of something that was an extension of my family.”
When Brown first entered Carolina his goals were ambitious. He quickly learned that in order to reach them he would have to get better at managing his time. Once he mastered that he made sure to use his summer school opportunities as a chance to get ahead academically.
Brown would go on to be named first-team All-ACC and be nominated for the Rimington Trophy, which goes to the top center in the nation, two years in a row.
On September 20, 2003, in the middle of his junior year, Brown received the call that his older brother, Lunsford Bernard Brown II, had been killed in action while serving in Afghanistan.
“He was the definition of an American hero – someone who had dedicated his life to service. He always motivated and encouraged me to be my best in whatever I did, to go out there and make an impact on the world,” says Brown. “The bar he set in service and sacrifice was amazing. He left shoes behind that were hard to fill and I carried those around with me for years.”
Ultimately, with his brother gone, Brown found himself motivated by his finances while losing sight of his path to a true purpose. That is a mistake he feels most people make because they are so focused on ensuring job security and making ends meet that they forget to find fulfillment.
Playing professionally in the NFL allowed him to be financially secure. However, what Brown eventually learned, was the same cliché we've all heard before, “Money can't buy you happiness.”
“Most of my life was dedicated to my goal of becoming a millionaire by the age of 30 and retiring at 35,” he says, “But I was a multi-millionaire by the age of 25 and retired by the age of 28. At the peak of my career, I was living in a mansion, driving fancy cars….the fame, the titles, the accolades, everyone was telling me I was living the American Dream. But I was not happy.
“I found out the hard way that it really wasn't what I was looking for. In the end I thank God that I had the convictions to be able to explore my heart and find out what makes me happy is helping others.”
Though Brown remains thankful for his time in the NFL and its ability to lay such a wonderful foundation for his family, he always knew he was looking for something more.
“What I took away from Carolina is a legacy of excellence,” he says. “When I go back and visit the University I see the attention to detail. It's a realization that the mission of Carolina is not temporary, or superficial. It's going to last for generations to come. I wanted to take that vision and apply it to my own life.”
After establishing himself as a force for four years with the Baltimore Ravens, Brown became the highest paid center in the league when he signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2009. When they eventually released him in March of 2012 Brown walked away from potential deals with the Ravens, 49ers and Panthers.
He had always dreamed of owning a farm and now he had the means and the vision to make it happen. Taking a leap of faith, Brown bought a 1,000-acre farm in Louisburg, N.C., in October of 2012. He and his wife, Tay, named it “First Fruits Farm” in honor of the covenant they'd made with God to give away the first fruits of every harvest they produced.
Two years later, after spending a year restoring the farm and reaping a harvest that was impressive but not as prosperous as they'd hoped, the First Fruits Farm gave away a combined 110,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and cucumbers.
All of the first fruits were given to food pantries and organizations that feed the hungry. The farm also hosted its first fishing derby, and made research opportunities available to graduate students in agriculture at NC State.
With plans to double his farm's yield of sweet potatoes in the coming year and to expand the harvest and its activities through his organization “Wisdom For Life,” Brown's dream has come true in a big way.
Though his brother is not here to see the amazing works he has done or those he is sure to continue doing in the years to come, it seems Brown has found his purpose and his legacy is one that most certainly continues the Carolina tradition of excellence.
If you would like to learn more about Jason Brown and his efforts to feed the hungry or to make a contribution, visit http://www.wisdomforlife.org/.