Following a Northside practice earlier this month, coach Mike Falleur asked senior offensive lineman Hayden Brown about his knee.
Falleur wanted to make sure Brown, who has had recurring injury issues on his knee, got it taken care of, telling Brown there would be significant improvement if he did just that.
"Last year, I did hurt (my knee), I fractured my femur in wrestling and that was different, but this year, I don't know what it was," Brown said. "A couple of weeks ago, it just started popping and it was hurting whenever I started trying to squat a little bit, started feeling a little wonky."
Brown understood Falleur's concerns. At the same time, Brown doesn't have time for the pain, as he is determined to keep his place in the Grizzlies' lineup.
"I kind of like to power through it," he said.
Brown (5-foot-9, 215 pounds), who will be a three-year starter on the offensive line, is also undergoing a transition for the third straight season. After starting as a right tackle his sophomore year and playing left tackle last season, Brown will be the Grizzlies' center, though he still may see action at right tackle.
"Because I played tackle the past couple of years, I think I would like that a little bit better, but because I did play center in junior high (at Chaffin), I'm also open-minded to it and I also like (center) as well," Brown said. "Either way, I'm perfectly fine (with playing center or tackle)."
"I personally think my strengths are being able to go wherever the coach needs me, I can learn plays very quickly just as long as I listen to the coach. I try and encourage the other linemen, I think that's one of my biggest strengths of being a lineman. ... Since seventh grade, I've tried to be one of the guys that would tell everybody they need to listen to coach, they know what they're talking about, they know what's best for the team, so if they start getting off track, I jump on their back and hopefully, that will change their mind on their discipline and how they perform."
Brown added he thinks the Grizzlies' retooled offensive line will get better as the season progresses, not to mention the offense in general.
"For a little while, (the line was) pretty stagnant, we didn't really make too much progress," Brown said. "But as we're getting closer to the season, I think we've become a lot better, we're starting to get our plays down a lot. Then we're trying to fine-tune everything, try and get our steps down and that will make us a lot better as a unit.
"I think the offense will soon be as important as the defense is or has been the past couple of years. ... As soon as we get (the offensive line) down, the wide receivers can do their job as soon as we block and make sure wide-open alleys are set for the running backs, I think we'll definitely be able to get people in the end zone and get yardage."
Line is just part of Brown's job. He is also the team's long snapper, a position Falleur noted is one which may go unnoticed at times but is just as valuable.
"As a coach, when you don't have to worry about whether the ball is going to get to the punter or not, that's a huge relief because if you do have to worry about it, and I've had to one time, you never know what's going to happen and it's not good," Falleur said. "So we're glad Hayden Brown's here, and I think he knows that."
Brown is just as dedicated in the classroom. He possesses a 4.0 grade-point average, and plans to go to college somewhere and major in either pre-med biology or biochemistry.
"He does everything the right way, on the football field, in the classroom," Falleur said. "I'm not around with him around town but I imagine he's the same kind of kid around people when he's out in the community, so he's one of our leaders and a guy that every coach on our staff respects very much."
