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By Daryle W. Hier | Yahoo! Contributor Network
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hawaii-war ... 00787.html
Aaron Brown started the 2011 college football season on the bench due to being arrested on assault charges stemming from an altercation early Sunday on August 28th of 2011 at a night club in Waikiki (see related articles). The 6' 237 pound Hawaii Warriors linebacker has come a long way since, as he was taken in the seventh round of the National Football League (NFL) draft by the St. Louis Rams.
Brown was Hawaii's starting outside linebacker in 2010 and the senior was expected to be one of the key players for the Warriors defense in 2011. That he was. After the suspension, he got down to business and was named first team All-WAC (source - KHNL) while being second on the team in tackles. He also had four and a half sacks plus he tied for the team lead in interceptions with three.
Though Brown was born in Spokane, he grew up in Puyallup, Washington, attending Puyallup High School. He also played rugby and was a wrestler. He first went to Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, California, where he was an All-American before coming to Hawaii. Although Brown played a little bit in his first year with the Warriors (2009), he was able to retain his redshirt and played two full seasons for the men of Manoa in 2010 and 2011.
He's on the small side for a NFL linebacker but his quickness and toughness should allow Brown to make it to the next level, especially with the Rams, considering they don't have a lot of linebackers on the roster. He was a very good tackler and hit like a freight train, even taking into account his smallish size. Brown will compete for the job as the Rams weakside linebacker.
Personally, I never thought he was ever overwhelmed by bigger players and his instinct for the football should help him stay in the game. Whether the arrest tempered his draft level is up for speculation but some think the character issue dropped him down to this seventh round. Regardless, his rookie camp with the St. Louis Rams is in two weeks and Brown will be there. Aloha and Mahalo.
Sources - St. Louis Rams, Honolulu Star-Advertiser