Ralph Brown (American football)

Ralph Davis Brown II (born September 16, 1978) is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Nebraska, and was a consensus All-American. He played professionally for the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.

Early years
Brown was born in Hacienda Heights, California. He attended Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, California, where he was listed as the second-best defensive back in the country by Blue Chip and named to the Dream Team. He was also named to USA Today 's second-team All-America squad. He was seventh in the state in rushing with 2,246 yards on 311 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown in the Lancers' Division I championship win over Los Angeles' Loyola High in 1995. He earned CIF Southern Section Player of the Year and MVP, and the Los Angeles Times Back-of-the-Year honors, scoring 29 times, including a school-record 6 in one game. Defensively, he had 57 tackles and six interceptions. He also lettered three times in track.

College career
Brown attended the University of Nebraska, where he played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team from 1996 to 1999. He finished career with 143 tackles, including 88 solo and is third on the Cornhuskers career list with 11 interceptions and first with 253 interception return yards. Brown also set a school record with 50 pass deflections. He was recognized as a consensus first-team All-America, having been named to the first teams of Walter Camp, College Football News and the Sporting News as a senior in 1999. He was also a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in the country. In 1997 and 1998, he was an All-Big Twelve Conference first team selection. Brown was then an All-American third-team pick by the Associated Press and College Football News in 1998. He became a member of the Big Twelve Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in 1997. One of six true freshmen who saw action for the Huskers in 1996, but the only one who earned a starting role. Brown became the first position player at Nebraska to start his first game as a true freshman since World War II.

Professional career
He was drafted in the fifth round (140th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played four seasons with the Giants from 2000-2003. In his first year Brown played in two games. He was inactive for season opener vs. Arizona and saw his 1st NFL action at Philadelphia, playing only on special teams. Only action was on special teams at Chicago. He was forced to leave game in the 3rd quarter after taking a knee to the abdomen. Injury was diagnosed as a laceration to the kidney. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve on October 2.

Next year played in eight games, with no starts and finished season with two assisted tackles on defense and five special teams tackles (4 solo).

2002 was his best year so far, he played in all 16 games, including his first two NFL starts, at St. Louis and at Washington. He was a reserve in NFC Wild Card game at San Francisco. He began the season as the dime (sixth) cornerback, but also played nickel corner. He finished with 25 tackles (19 solo), one interception, one fumble recovery, three passes defensed and eight special teams tackles (six solo).

In his last season with the Giants, Brown contributed in the secondary as a reserve and spot starter and on special teams, providing depth to the defensive backfield. He demonstrated nose for the ball on several key plays last season. Brown played in 11 games, starting seven. He missed three games with a shoulder injury and was assigned to injured reserve prior to Week 16 at Dallas. He finished the season with 41 tackles (28 solo), one sack, one forced fumble, two interceptions and one touchdown.

He also played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2004–2005 and Cleveland Browns in 2006.