Chris Brown (running back, born 1981)

Christopher Rejean Brown (born April 17, 1981, in Winfield, Illinois) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado.

High school career
Brown was named Prep Football Report and Super Prep All-American, first-team All-State, and Daily Herald first-team All-Area as senior at Naperville North High School in Naperville, Illinois, rushing for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns. He rushed for 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns in his career at Naperville North, where he played with former Titans teammate and ex Tennessee Titans wide receiver Justin McCareins, as well as former Houston Texans defensive back Glenn Earl

College career
Brown attended Fort Scott, Kansas Junior College as a freshman and impressed then-Northwestern University head coach Gary Barnett enough to be offered a scholarship there as a running back. But soon Barnett left Northwestern for the University of Colorado, and incoming Northwestern coaches felt Brown was best suited as a receiver. He then transferred to Colorado, where Barnett provided him an opportunity to become one of the school's all-time leading rushers. Brown holds some other school records as well, including the most touchdowns in a game when he ran in six against Nebraska in 2001 during his sophomore season. Brown had a successful year in 2002 also, as he had a shot at being a Heisman Trophy candidate, but his hopes were derailed when a late-season injury caused him to miss 2 and a half games. To most Colorado fans' dismay, Brown elected to skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

Tennessee Titans
Brown was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft, with the 93rd overall selection. As a rookie in 2003, Brown was not available to play during the preseason and five regular season games due to a hamstring injury. Although being behind two other backs, Brown averaged 3.9 yards per carry on 56 carries totaling 221 yards, the Titans' team high for the 2003 season. He also performed very well in the playoffs. At the beginning of the 2004 season, Brown was promoted to starting running back due to the absence of Eddie George in the Titans' lineup. He had a strong start, and finished the season with 1,067 yards, but several injuries forced him to miss significant time and also affected his play. He led the NFL in Yards per carry in 2004.

In January 2005 successful surgery was performed on both of Brown's ankles. In 2005, Brown ran for 851 yards. Brown has been criticized in the past for running too upright and not running as powerfully as other backs his size. In 2006, the Titans drafted LenDale White, a more traditional power runner. With the emergence of Travis Henry, Brown had been deactivated for several games in the 2006 season. Brown completed his contract with the Titans before leaving as a free agent to sign with the Houston Texans.

Brown rushed for a career high 175 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 9, 2007.

Houston Texans
On March 13, 2008, Brown was signed by the Houston Texans to a two-year deal worth $3.6 million and containing an $800,000 signing bonus. Brown played well for the Texans but made his only fumble of the season cost the team a chance to tie a game and force overtime late in the game. He also was intercepted on a halfback pass that was a poorly conceived play. Brown completed his two year contract with the Texans.

Personal
Brown is the younger brother of Levelle Brown, fullback formerly of the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. Chris has a younger sister named LaShawndra Brown who played Division III basketball, and now works in youth ministry at their home church in Naperville, IL. Chris has a 4-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter.