Brown's rise to Terps' starting QB has many job descriptions

C.J. Brown takes his position very seriously.

After all, being named the starting quarterback for the University of Maryland football team — any football team for that matter — is an honor and a privilege. It proves that the coaches think you really have something on the ball.


But Brown has a different view about being given the keys to the Terrapins’ offensive car.

“Being a quarterback isn’t a job, it’s a profession,” Brown said recently during Maryland’s annual media day festivities.

Brown wasn’t trying to come off cocky, but he has a point. He will be wearing many helmets when he gets under center this season.

He will be the CEO of the huddle.

He is the quality control specialist of the offense.

He’s the engineer keeping the Terps on track at the line of scrimmage.

He’s the distribution officer supplying the ball to the rest of the team while being a psychologist to keep everyone happy and motivated on every play.

He’s the head of logistics because he is in charge of moving Maryland across the field and over the goal line in the least expensive, yet most profitable, manner.

And maybe in this election year, Brown is the leader that everyone is counting on to move the Terrapins up in the polls after last year’s disappointing 2-10 season.

The redshirt junior has the vote of his “boss” in his locker.

“C.J. knows that he is the quarterback and our leader,” said Maryland coach Randy Edsall. “He has really taken the leadership role to another level. The players really respect him as someone who understands exactly what needs to be done to get to where we want to go. He is a guy who just works and commands respect from his teammates.”

Still, even with the vote of confidence, Brown knows he has to work to prove it to everyone but his teammates at Byrd Stadium.

Brown was named Maryland’s starter coming out of spring practices, but realizes that his “profession” is just the starting point, not the finish line.

“Having the starting job is completely different,” Brown said. “But there is competition everywhere. I still have to compete to keep the job.”

On one side, it was a reward for how he performed in a season that made a roller coaster feel docile.

Brown started five of the 10 games he played last year, sharing the quarterbacking duties with his friend Danny O’Brien, Maryland’s starting quarterback for much of the two previous seasons.

Brown got his big chance when O’Brien was hurt. He gave the Terps a different dynamic because of his ability to run the ball while O’Brien was more of a pocket passer.