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Christ School Coach Once Flew With the Eagles
Assistant coach Na Brown played three seasons for Super Bowl team
Christ School has a Super Bowl connection. And it's not just as obvious as the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles also wear green.
Na Brown came on board as a wide receivers coach for the Greenies football team last season. He formerly played that position from 1999 to 2001 with the Eagles. So the Fletcher, N.C., resident has a rooting interest and then some in Sunday's big game between Philadelphia and the New England Patriots.
"It's a little unexpected. I don't know anyone who can say they expected them to get this far," Brown said. "But I remember being out on the field before their game at Carolina (the Eagles beat the Panthers, 28-23, on October 12 in Charlotte). Everyone I talked to, from the coaches to players, said this team is special."
Brown, 40, was selected by Philadelphia in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft after a 2,000-yard college career at the University of North Carolina. His first quarterback in the pros? Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson. Brown said that several other Eagles coaches are former teammates, too.
"When you see one of your brothers get this far, it really gives you a lot of pride," Brown said. "I know how hard those guys have been working to get to this point. I don't miss football that much. Of course, that itch is always there, especially when it's warm outside. But I know from experience that sometimes when your mind says you can still do it, your body says no more."
Having ruptured an Achilles tendon, Brown will be unable to travel to Minneapolis for the Super Bowl. Instead, he plans to watch from his home in western North Carolina.
Of course, Brown is not the only Christ School football coach with major Division I college and pro experience. Head coach Mark Moroz was a standout offensive lineman for Wake Forest from 2000 to 2003. Assistant coach Heath Shuler was the 1993 runner-up for the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Tennessee.
Brown is looking forward to working with the Greenies again in 2018.
"I've enjoyed it so far. Now that I've got my feet wet, I definitely feel like I know what to expect for this upcoming season," Brown said.
