University of Tennessee Athletics
Tight End of the Future
November 09, 2007 | Football
Tennessee tight ends from Whit Canali in 1964 to Victor McClure in 2004 were mostly known for either their blocking or pass-catching abilities, but rarely for both.
The Tennessee offense--like many others still do today--used multiple tight ends during those years, one for passing plays and one that excelled in blocking.
Upon offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe???s return to Tennessee in 2006, that quickly changed. Tennessee still uses multiple tight ends, but now they are used at the same time and in a number of different roles.
Cutcliffe spent a year away from the game studying his own offensive philosophy and traveling around the country taking in the ideas of other coaching staffs. One aspect of his offense that he determined needed an overhaul was the tight end position. Cutcliffe decided that he could mesh the role of the traditional tight end with that of the fullback and slot receiver to create a new kind of multi-threat position.
Once back in Knoxville, he surveyed his talent and quickly found the perfect player to become the ???new??? Tennessee tight end: Chris Brown.
???A guy like Chris Brown was the perfect beginning for that position,??? Cutcliffe said. ???It wasn???t just his number, 28. You took one look at him and you could tell he had mobility, athleticism, and he was physical enough to line up on the line of scrimmage???
Brown, a senior and native of Destrehan, La., has stepped into the role and succeeded at every turn. In two years as a starter in the system, Brown has 63 receptions for 462 yards and six touchdowns.?? He has also developed into an outstanding lead blocker for the Tennessee running backs.
The offensive packages that feature Brown have become a staple of the Tennessee offense. Gone are the days of a single tight end lining up on the line of scrimmage and either pass blocking or running a pattern on the snap. Now, Brown and the other tight ends break the huddle and line up anywhere on the field: on the line of scrimmage, in the backfield, or as a wide receiver.????
???It???s difficult at times because of the blocking assignments,??? Brown said. ???I have to be able to block every kind of player on the field???linemen, linebackers, cornerbacks???in a lot of different scenarios, and then I am also heading out into routes.???
Nonetheless, Brown has experienced a great deal of success on gameday. This comes as no surprise to the senior tight end because has played all of his current roles before. He played the tight end position in high school, but was used primarily as a receiver, not a blocker. He even lined up in the slot position in certain packages.?? Prior to high school, Brown spent time at both fullback and tight end in junior high and pee wee football.
He also has the position in his blood.
???It kind of runs in my family a little bit,??? Brown said. ???My older brother was a tight end, and he played at the college level, then my dad was also a tight end as well. I guess it???s kind of our family position.???
Cutcliffe???s system is both the culmination of Brown???s learning experience and the evolution of his family???s position. He now plays in three different spots, and he does more mental preparation for a game than physical.
???It???s about how I get ready to play more than anything,??? Brown said. ???You have to know what you???re doing out there. We have a lot of plays and I have to know them from several different positions, so there is a lot that goes into preparing mentally for each snap.???
One of the reasons Cutcliffe???s offense is effective is that its personality cannot be determined strictly from the personnel on the field or even the formation. One of the requirements for that approach is multitalented players, and Chris Brown is the epitome of versatility.
???That???s the key to the whole system, and it centers on the tight ends,??? Cutcliffe said. ???We can put the same group of 11 guys on the field and go smash-mouth, single back or spread. Chris has the versatility to run routes out of the backfield, from the end of the line of scrimmage or in the slot. We can also use him to block from those same positions on the field.???
Because of the volume of plays in the Tennessee playbook, Brown had to work to earn the trust of Cutcliffe and the other offensive coaches when it came to his new role. The offense schemes ended up being easy for Brown to learn; they just required playing experience before they could be mastered. Now in his second year in the system, both he and the coaches know it is the perfect fit for him.
???I worked for it, but I???m honored that the coaches are willing to do so many different things with me,??? Brown said. ???They trust me to do so much consistently. It is a lot of fun out there running around and doing a lot of different things to create mismatches.???
Brown is the first in what will become a long line of versatile, multi-dimensional Tennessee tight ends. Luke Stocker, Jeff Cottam and Kevin Cooper are already on the roster and seeing significant playing time in roles similar to Brown???s.
Cutcliffe said that he now recruits for the new hybrid position. What kind of high school player is he looking for?
???Guys that can play like Chris Brown,??? he said.
