Miami Hurricanes star backup running back ChaMar Brown opened up about his journey to Coral Gables and his underdog swag.
Check out everything he had to say below:
On growing up in Omaha...
ChaMar Brown. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska. I grew up with my twin brother, my little brother, and little sister. It was always competitive. My brother played linebacker, I played running back, so it was always one-v-one, killer man, just all, like, free-for-all, always competitive. I started playing football when I was, like, probably five years old, six years old. I always had the passion just growing up, just always, the first time picking up a football, I always loved it, and I just, you know, kept striving to be a good football player ever since.
First memories of football...
I was in the backyard with my grandma. She had a New Orleans Saints ball, and it was small, and she was just playing catch with us. That's when I fell in love with football, really. My favorite memory of high school football was just playing with my twin brother, my friends that I grew up with during Little League. We all went to the same high school and played football together. It was just a fun vibe, you know, everyone was fun, like, everybody would play after school, work out together, go in the same classes. It was an all-boys school, so, like, it was real life, brotherhood 24/7. And we always knew what we were doing, like, it was a non-stop, like, party, I would say.
On who has made the biggest impact on his journey...
It's a lot of people, but, in all honesty, it kind of came to just me as a kid, like, always wanting to be at the top level. Like, I always knew I was gonna be here at some point, playing at the highest level for college, and then hopefully the NFL. But, like, I always had something that just, in the back of my mind, I knew I would get here, and no one was gonna tell me different.
On who he goes for support.
I would definitely say, like, my brother, my friend, my coach, Coach Alan Burrell. Yeah, I mean, those guys, my stepdad, they really just poured into me and telling me I can do it, and I'm something special, and I always believed in them, and I believed in myself, so.
On feeling under recruited...
An obstacle was kind of like, I would say, like, high school. I feel like I was under-recruited, and I feel like I was one of the top guys in the state for running back, and I didn't really have much offers. I had, like, offers from the MAC, a few, like, preferred walk-ons, but nothing really serious. No schools really taking me serious besides NDSU. And I'm blessed that they called me and offered me a full ride, and, but yeah, just out of high school, I feel like I was tried, you know, in terms of recruiting-wise, and they always stuck with me. I feel like I was the underdog. But I'm definitely blessed to be, was a part of that program at NDSU and to learn that culture and learn how to really play football and be a part of a brotherhood that was great like NDSU's, and eventually coming here and doing the same thing.
When he released that he could play football at a high level...
I feel like I was stronger than everyone else, I was faster. I had the physique, I had everything. I had the work ethic, I had everything to, you know, be the best I can be. Knowing who I was and staying grounded, that I always made plays through Little League, high school, then senior year, you know, doing the, you know, doing what? I had like 1,400 yards or something like that, 15 touchdowns. So I knew I can perform. Like, I was ready for it. Like, I would eat, sleep, breathe football. Like, no one couldn't tell me different where I would end up.
On his recruiting process...
So, yeah, it was crazy. The recruiting process was crazy. Like, I understood a little bit of it, but actually being in it was actually surreal. And all the coaches hitting me up and legends, calling me, like DeSean Jackson and Ron Rivera from Cal, and, like, I didn't realize how serious it really gets. It's like, it's really a business out here. And when Cristobal called me on the phone and wanted me, and told me he wanted me to come here, it was surreal. Because I only seen Coach Mario Cristobal, you know, on TV, and then he's FaceTiming me, and I'm in Fargo still. Like, it's only, like, surreal. I couldn't believe it, for real.
One thing fans might not know about him...
Well, I used to be a barber. Like, I used to cut hair. I grew a passion for cutting hair. My stepdad was a barber. And I used to watch him cut hair, and in high school I started cutting hair. So, yeah. But eventually I stopped because, like, I don't have enough time for it anymore.
On Coach Cristobal...
He's straightforward, you know. He expects a lot from us, which is actually doable because we should expect a lot from ourselves. So, when he's asking to do the simple things to, and, you know, he's not asking for much. He's just asking for the simple things to make us great and to make us the players he wants us to be. And I feel like him just being straightforward with us and telling us what he wants out of us is just, you know, what you expect out of a great leader like Coach. You always got to have a coach that backs himself up, you know. And Coach Mario Cristobal does that all the time. Like, you know, that's who he is and how he carries himself, you know. I wouldn't say, I would say he's kind of feared, but not, like, you know, a coach is supposed to be like that, you know. A coach is not supposed to be all laughy, goofy all the time. You know, it's up for stake, and, you know, it got to be serious. It got to be straight business, you know. Yeah, the culture is.
Check out everything he had to say below:
On growing up in Omaha...
ChaMar Brown. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska. I grew up with my twin brother, my little brother, and little sister. It was always competitive. My brother played linebacker, I played running back, so it was always one-v-one, killer man, just all, like, free-for-all, always competitive. I started playing football when I was, like, probably five years old, six years old. I always had the passion just growing up, just always, the first time picking up a football, I always loved it, and I just, you know, kept striving to be a good football player ever since.
First memories of football...
I was in the backyard with my grandma. She had a New Orleans Saints ball, and it was small, and she was just playing catch with us. That's when I fell in love with football, really. My favorite memory of high school football was just playing with my twin brother, my friends that I grew up with during Little League. We all went to the same high school and played football together. It was just a fun vibe, you know, everyone was fun, like, everybody would play after school, work out together, go in the same classes. It was an all-boys school, so, like, it was real life, brotherhood 24/7. And we always knew what we were doing, like, it was a non-stop, like, party, I would say.
On who has made the biggest impact on his journey...
It's a lot of people, but, in all honesty, it kind of came to just me as a kid, like, always wanting to be at the top level. Like, I always knew I was gonna be here at some point, playing at the highest level for college, and then hopefully the NFL. But, like, I always had something that just, in the back of my mind, I knew I would get here, and no one was gonna tell me different.
On who he goes for support.
I would definitely say, like, my brother, my friend, my coach, Coach Alan Burrell. Yeah, I mean, those guys, my stepdad, they really just poured into me and telling me I can do it, and I'm something special, and I always believed in them, and I believed in myself, so.
On feeling under recruited...
An obstacle was kind of like, I would say, like, high school. I feel like I was under-recruited, and I feel like I was one of the top guys in the state for running back, and I didn't really have much offers. I had, like, offers from the MAC, a few, like, preferred walk-ons, but nothing really serious. No schools really taking me serious besides NDSU. And I'm blessed that they called me and offered me a full ride, and, but yeah, just out of high school, I feel like I was tried, you know, in terms of recruiting-wise, and they always stuck with me. I feel like I was the underdog. But I'm definitely blessed to be, was a part of that program at NDSU and to learn that culture and learn how to really play football and be a part of a brotherhood that was great like NDSU's, and eventually coming here and doing the same thing.
When he released that he could play football at a high level...
I feel like I was stronger than everyone else, I was faster. I had the physique, I had everything. I had the work ethic, I had everything to, you know, be the best I can be. Knowing who I was and staying grounded, that I always made plays through Little League, high school, then senior year, you know, doing the, you know, doing what? I had like 1,400 yards or something like that, 15 touchdowns. So I knew I can perform. Like, I was ready for it. Like, I would eat, sleep, breathe football. Like, no one couldn't tell me different where I would end up.
On his recruiting process...
So, yeah, it was crazy. The recruiting process was crazy. Like, I understood a little bit of it, but actually being in it was actually surreal. And all the coaches hitting me up and legends, calling me, like DeSean Jackson and Ron Rivera from Cal, and, like, I didn't realize how serious it really gets. It's like, it's really a business out here. And when Cristobal called me on the phone and wanted me, and told me he wanted me to come here, it was surreal. Because I only seen Coach Mario Cristobal, you know, on TV, and then he's FaceTiming me, and I'm in Fargo still. Like, it's only, like, surreal. I couldn't believe it, for real.
One thing fans might not know about him...
Well, I used to be a barber. Like, I used to cut hair. I grew a passion for cutting hair. My stepdad was a barber. And I used to watch him cut hair, and in high school I started cutting hair. So, yeah. But eventually I stopped because, like, I don't have enough time for it anymore.
On Coach Cristobal...
He's straightforward, you know. He expects a lot from us, which is actually doable because we should expect a lot from ourselves. So, when he's asking to do the simple things to, and, you know, he's not asking for much. He's just asking for the simple things to make us great and to make us the players he wants us to be. And I feel like him just being straightforward with us and telling us what he wants out of us is just, you know, what you expect out of a great leader like Coach. You always got to have a coach that backs himself up, you know. And Coach Mario Cristobal does that all the time. Like, you know, that's who he is and how he carries himself, you know. I wouldn't say, I would say he's kind of feared, but not, like, you know, a coach is supposed to be like that, you know. A coach is not supposed to be all laughy, goofy all the time. You know, it's up for stake, and, you know, it got to be serious. It got to be straight business, you know. Yeah, the culture is.
