Former Cal Poly quarterback Chris Brown has signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys, following in the footsteps of his older brother, ex-Stanford cornerback Terrence Brown Jr.
Brown inked the deal hours after the three-day National Football League draft ended Saturday night in Chicago. The Cowboys intend to let Brown try out as both a quarterback and wide receiver.
“I am more than excited to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys organization,” said Brown. “Graduating from a prestigious school such as Cal Poly was first on my list, but making it to an NFL team is absolutely unbelievable. This is something that my brother, cousins and close friends talked about as kids. After my brother made it to the NFL and signed with the Bengals, he showed me that it was possible for me to do the same. All I wanted is a chance and God has blessed me with this opportunity.”
Brown was one of four ex-Mustangs who participated in Cal Poly’s NFL Pro Day last month. The others were wide receivers Willie Tucker and Jordan Hines along with linebacker Burton De Koning and
Brown, who both rushed and passed for over 3,000 yards in his Mustang career and twice scored touchdowns by rushing, passing and receiving in a single game, was named Cal Poly’s most valuable player last December.
Last season, Brown surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for the second consecutive year, netting 1,084 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. He is the only quarterback in Cal Poly’s 97-year football history to break the 1,000-yard mark on the ground.
Brown also completed 62 of 113 passes (55 percent) for 846 yards and 12 scores. He is the only quarterback in the Big Sky Conference to finish in the top five in both rushing and passing efficiency last fall, placing No. 2 in rushing and No. 5 with his 147.5 passing efficiency rating.
Brown completed his Mustang career with 3,034 rushing yards and 3,164 passing yards. He scored 38 touchdowns rushing in his collegiate career, a school record, and his 75 touchdowns by rushing, passing and receiving ties the school mark set by Jonathan Dally from 2007-08.
He is No. 5 on Cal Poly’s all-time career rushing charts and No. 8 in career passing yards. With Brown as the starter in 26 of Cal Poly’s 35 games over the past three years, the Mustangs finished No. 1 in the nation in the FCS in rushing each season.
Brown accomplished the feat of scoring a touchdown by running, passing and receiving in a single game against Weber State in 2014 and UC Davis in 2015.
A year ago, Brown broke the Big Sky mark for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season with 1,265 yards (Connor Kavanagh of Portland State had 1,060 yards in 2011). He earned All-Big Sky Conference honorable mention praise last fall after landing on the third team in 2014.
“I want to thank my parents for the love and support, the Cowboys organization for giving me the opportunity, but most of all I thank Cal Poly and the city of San Luis Obispo for the support and good wishes,” Brown said.
Brown, a graduate of Dominguez High School who earned his bachelor’s degree in communication studies at Cal Poly in December, leaves Thursday for Dallas.
“I’m excited to show them how a Mustang rides high,” said Brown. “I am truly blessed.”