Why Boston College QB Anthony Brown is poised to make the leap this year
“In the huddle, on the sidelines, he's driving the football team, and that's what we've been just dying to see."
When Anthony Brown sits down and re-watches a game, he tends to be disappointed in what he sees from himself.
Even if he throws three touchdowns and one interception, he’ll replay the interception over and over again – both on the tape and in his head – so he can digest it, unpack it, and learn from it.
“I would say I’m hard on myself, because I feel like I’m my biggest critic,” the redshirt junior said. “A lot of people will tell you that, but I like to be perfect. From the past, I was very inconsistent. I hate watching that. It’s good for me watching it now, because it shows what I can improve on. It shows what makes the difference in a year.”
It’s never easy to stomach, but the BC quarterback always prefers watching film over not watching it. Though he knows he’s not a finished product, and he still has room to grow, dissecting Saturday’s 35-28 win over Virginia Tech wasn’t quite as sporadically aggravating as some games in the past.
Brown finished 15 for 26 with 275 yards in the air, two passing touchdowns, and one rushing TD. He racked up 172 deep passing yards – passes targeted 20-plus yards – which was the most in the country in Week 1. After a strong redshirt freshman year that was curtailed due to a knee injury, and an even better sophomore season that featured 20 TD passes, Brown is hoping to take yet another step this year.
That includes his production on the field, of course, but he’s also focusing on blossoming into more of a leader. He did what the team asked of him in years one and two, but now he said he’s making a conscious effort to provide enthusiasm and guidance whenever he can.
“We need a leader, and it had to be me on offense,” Brown said. … “Just bringing juice and bringing energy to practice, energy that everybody needs to feel like they’re ready to go. Just being contagious.”
BC head coach Steve Addazio said after the game that he thought Brown showed tremendous leadership against Virginia Tech. Addazio praised Brown for speaking up at halftime and imploring his teammates to find a way to preserve the lead.
It’s not that Brown didn’t lead by example last year or the year before. It’s just that this year, according to those who know him best, he’s taking it upon himself to outwardly and explicitly lead. Sometimes saying it out loud helps it resonate even more, and he’s taking that mindset to heart.
“In the huddle, on the sidelines, he’s driving the football team, and that’s what we’ve been just dying to see that come out of him,” Addazio said. “Just really making corrections, driving the team, total command, unfazed, not riding the roller-coaster.”
“That was a statement win”#WeAreBC🦅 pic.twitter.com/NhU7hk3OuL
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) September 2, 2019
His personal growth was also evident from a decision-making standpoint on the field in Week 1. Brown’s teammates have seen him become more consistent in practice, and 35,000 fans easily made the same observation Saturday as he dismantled the Hokies. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound QB commanded the offense and played a nearly mistake-free game.
He floated a strike to freshman standout Zay Flowers for a 33-yard touchdown, then he danced his way out of the pocket and delivered a missile right into Kobay White’s hands for a 56-yard gain on the following drive, all in the first eight minutes. Whether it was a flashy, highlight-reel play or a simple handoff or short pass, Brown was both sharp and steady.
“I just feel like I’m being a little bit more consistent than I was,” Brown said. “If I was consistent, it would be the same as now, but I wasn’t, so I would say the inconsistency was the difference between then and this year.”
With a new, inventive offensive coordinator in Mike Bajakian, a healthy and explosive running back in AJ Dillon, and a number of other trusted voices around him, Brown has several creative minds to turn to. He also has a fresh and electric option in Flowers, who made it clear right away that he’s a college-ready deep threat.
“It’s always nice adding new cars to the garage, “ Brown said. “It’s really a blessing.”
Boston College is 1-0 after beating Virginia Tech, 35-28 to open the season! 🦅#WeAreBC | @BCFootball pic.twitter.com/d6XwgsctV8
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 1, 2019
This offseason, Brown said he added more workouts and more film study to his routine. He was all about doing anything he could to make himself and his teammates better, and those around him have been impressed by what they’ve seen so far.
“Anthony has definitely taken the next step,” graduate student Tanner Karafa said. “You could tell that during the offseason, too. I knew it was coming. He’s been a great leader for us. He obviously played great, and we needed that. He did an amazing job for us, and hopefully he’ll continue to do that. I know he will.”
Time will tell whether Brown’s sizzling start to 2019 continues. The mistakes will still come here and there, like they do for any quarterback, but it’s clear he’s a more polished version of the QB fans saw last year.
As the Eagles host Richmond on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., Brown will try to continue to build upon what he and the Eagles want to accomplish. Brown has sensed something different this year, as BC hopes to make some noise in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He’s doing whatever he can to help facilitate that process.
“It’s a little bit more urgent,” Brown said. “This is the year that we need to do better. We need to be a better team that we’ve always felt we could have been. It was just urgency all offseason.”
