Jerry Brown, an All-Metro defensive lineman from Vashon High who played at the University of Illinois and was on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, was killed in a one-car accident early Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
Police said Josh Brent, a teammate who was driving the vehicle, was charged with intoxication manslaughter in connection with the incident. Brown and Brent, who is from Bloomington, Ill., also were teammates for two seasons at Illinois.
Brown was the second NFL player to die in a week. The previous Saturday, Kansas City's Jovan Belcher committed suicide after murdering his girlfriend, with whom he had a daughter.
The Dallas Morning News said Brown and Brent reportedly had partied with other teammates and celebrities at a nightclub shortly before the crash.
Arlington police spokesman John Argumaniz said they were in a Mercedes when the car hit a curb at about 2:20 a.m. and flipped at least once. "They were traveling well above the posted speed limit" of 45 mph, he said.
When police arrived, they found Brent dragging Brown from the vehicle, which was on fire. Officers quickly put out the small blaze, Argumaniz said. Brown was unresponsive at the scene and pronounced dead at a hospital.
Officers conducted a field sobriety test on Brent and arrested him. Before he was taken to jail, Brent went to a hospital for blood-alcohol testing and also received treatment for some minor scrapes. The charge against Brent was upgraded after Brown was pronounced dead, police said. He faces two to 20 years in prison.
Argumaniz said Brent was being held without bond, adding that he missed a 10 a.m. booking session with a judge because he was intoxicated. Brent released a statement late Saturday through his agent, saying he was laden with grief for his friend's "family, friends and all who were blessed enough to have known him. I will live with this horrific and tragic loss every day for the rest of my life."
Former Illinois coach Ron Zook, who recruited both players, said he talked to Brent's agent a few weeks ago. Brent had gotten into trouble while playing for Zook at the school.
"I asked how Josh was doing, if he was keeping his nose clean," Zook said. "He talked about the fact that Jerry was living with him and Josh was taking care of him, taking him under his wing.
"I was close to all of them and always talked to them about how precious life is and how short it can be and how careful you have to be."
The university, in a statement, said, "Our hearts go out to the Brown family and everyone who knew Jerry. It's a tragedy and hopefully they'll pull together through a tough situation."
As a senior at Vashon, Brown made first team All-Metro as a defensive lineman and was ranked No. 4 on the list of Post-Dispatch top 30 local football recruits after that 2005 season.
Known as great team leader who refused to stop, the two-time Public High League defensive player of the year led Vashon as a senior with 97 tackles (65 solo) and 13 sacks. He also had an interception and made three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown as the team's tight end. As a junior, he had 78 tackles, 12 sacks and nine tackles for loss.
At Illinois, Zook regarded Brown as a potential star, once saying that he thought he could eventually win the Outland Trophy that is awarded to the nation's top interior lineman each year. Brown flashed his potential in spurts but lasted only 2008 and '09 at Illinois before leaving for academic reasons, Zook said. Brown played for San Antonio in the Arena Football League this year. In 2011, he played for Jacksonville in the AFL and Hamilton in the Canadian Football League.
He was in the NFL this year, first with Indianapolis before being released from its practice squad Oct. 20. Brown played in one game for the Colts, a loss to the Jets on Oct. 14. Then the Cowboys signed him to their practice squad Oct. 24, but he hadn't been on the active roster.
"Our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry's family and all of those who knew him and loved him,'' Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson added, "... Our sincerest condolences go out to Jerry's family and friends. He was a good teammate that was well liked by all. Today's tragic news is just another reminder of how fragile life is and how every day given is a gift."
While at Illinois, Brent missed two games in 2008 for what Zook said at the time was an illness. Explaining his absence from one of the games, Zook said, "He had a relapse and that's all I'm going to say. He has some issues … an illness he needs to get cleaned up."
Then in February 2009, Brent was arrested near the Illinois campus for driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license and speeding, according to Champaign County, Ill., court records.
That June, Brent pleaded guilty to DUI and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, two years of probation, 200 hours of community service and a fine of about $2,000.
As part of his plea deal, prosecutors dropped one count of aggravated DUI/no valid driver's license. He served part of the sentence in the summer of 2009, receiving credit for time served. Zook reinstated him for the start of the '09 season.
"I see a difference in him in a positive way," Zook said at the time. "He's very remorseful and understands he made a serious mistake. He's always been a good kid for the most part, good in school and never a character issue."
Brent entered the 2010 NFL supplemental draft with a year of eligibility remaining with the Illini and the Cowboys took him in the seventh round.
Brent, who completed his probation in July 2011, had played in all 12 games for Dallas this season and had been scheduled to start Sunday against Cincinnati. He has 35 tackles and 11/2 sacks.
Stu Durando of the Post-Dispatch staff contributed to this report.
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