Ralph Brown ( American football ) Ralph Davis Brown II ( born September 16 , 1978 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League ( NFL ) for ten seasons . He played college football for the University of Nebraska , and was a consensus All - American . He played professionally for the New York Giants , Minnesota Vikings , Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL . Early years . Brown was born in Los Angeles , California . He attended Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente , California , where he was listed as the second - best defensive back in the country by Blue Chip and named to the Dream Team . He was also named to " USA Today " ' s second - team All - America squad . He was seventh in the state in rushing with 2 , 246 yards on 311 carries and scored the game - winning touchdown in the Lancers ' Division I championship win over Los Angeles ' Loyola High in 1995 . He earned CIF Southern Section Player of the Year and MVP , and the " Los Angeles Times " Back - of - the - Year honors , scoring 29 times , including a school - record 6 in one game . Defensively , he had 57 tackles and six interceptions . He also lettered three times in track . College career . Brown attended the University of Nebraska , where he played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team from 1996 to 1999 . He finished career with 143 tackles , including 88 solo and is third on the Cornhuskers career list with 11 interception s and first with 253 interception return yards . Brown also set a school record with 50 pass deflections . He was recognized as a consensus first - team All - America , having been named to the first teams of Walter Camp , " College Football News " and the " Sporting News " as a senior in 1999 . He was also a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award , given to the top defensive back in the country . In 1997 and 1998 , he was an All - Big Twelve Conference first team selection . Brown was then an All - American third - team pick by the Associated Press and " College Football News " in 1998 . He became a member of the Big Twelve Commissioner ' s Academic Honor Roll in 1997 . One of six true freshmen who saw action for the Huskers in 1996 , but the only one who earned a starting role . Brown became the first position player at Nebraska to start his first game as a true freshman since World War II . Professional career . He was drafted in the fifth round ( 140th overall ) of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Giants . He played four seasons with the Giants from 2000 - 2003 . In his first year Brown played in two games . He was inactive for season opener vs . Arizona and saw his 1st NFL action at Philadelphia , playing only on special teams . Only action was on special teams at Chicago . He was forced to leave game in the 3rd quarter after taking a knee to the abdomen . Injury was diagnosed as a laceration to the kidney . He was placed on season - ending injured reserve on October 2 . Next year played in eight games , with no starts and finished season with two assisted tackles on defense and five special teams tackles ( 4 solo ) . 2002 was his best year so far , he played in all 16 games , including his first two NFL starts , at St . Louis and at Washington . He was a reserve in at San Francisco . He began the season as the dime ( sixth ) cornerback , but also played nickel corner . He finished with 25 tackles ( 19 solo ) , one interception , one fumble recovery , three passes defensed and eight special teams tackles ( six solo ) . In his last season with the Giants , Brown contributed in the secondary as a reserve and spot starter and on special teams , providing depth to the defensive backfield . He demonstrated nose for the ball on several key plays last season . Brown played in 11 games , starting seven . He missed three games with a shoulder injury and was assigned to injured reserve prior to Week 16 at Dallas . He finished the season with 41 tackles ( 28 solo ) , one sack , one forced fumble , two interceptions and one touchdown . He also played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2004 – 2005 and Cleveland Browns in 2006 .