Monty Brown Monty Brown ( April 13 , 1970 ) is a retired American professional wrestler and former National Football League linebacker . He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where he wrestled on its ECW brand under the ring name Marcus Cor Von . In both companies , he utilized the nickname " The Alpha Male " . Brown has also wrestled for a number of independent promotions , including Blood , Sweat and Ears , Juggalo Championship Wrestling and the Universal Wrestling Alliance . Football career . Brown attended Ferris State University in Big Rapids , Michigan , where he was an All - American American football linebacker with the Ferris State Bulldogs , breaking and setting several defensive records . Brown was the first Ferris State Bulldogs athlete to be named both a first - team Academic All - American and a first - team All - American . In 1992 , Brown ranked fifth as a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy ( awarded to the NCAA Division II Player of the Year ) and was named conference co - player of the year in 1992 . As a senior , Brown was named the Most Valuable Player of the Ferris State Bulldogs . In his final year , Brown was named the C . M . Frank National Defensive Player of the Year . He was inducted into the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 . After Brown graduated , talent spotters recruited him to the Buffalo Bills , and he played football professionally for five years , competing in Super Bowl XXVIII for the Bills in 1994 . On April 17 , 1996 , Brown signed with the New England Patriots as a restricted free agent , and Brown immediately became a starter as the right outside linebacker . In just two games for the Patriots , Brown made 23 tackles . Brown stated that one of his reasons for signing with the Patriots was to be closer to the World Wrestling Federation headquarters in Stamford , Connecticut . He stopped playing football due to an ankle injury , and decided to train as a professional wrestler . Professional Wrestling Career . Brown was trained to be a professional wrestler by Dan " The Beast " Severn and Sabu , and made his in - ring debut in 2000 . He began his career in Michigan ' s All World Wrestling League , where he wrestled against competitors including his trainer Sabu . During this time , he teamed with Chris Sabin . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2002 - 2006 ) . Early Appearances . In 2002 , Brown made several appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , including challenging NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ron Killings , but did not become a permanent part of the company , as his face persona did not connect with fans . His last appearance with the company in 2002 was on August 28 . For a time in mid - 2003 , he worked for the All World Wrestling League / Big Time Wrestling . He returned to the company on March 10 , 2004 , attacking the Insane Clown Posse during a match in the process . He now had an in - ring persona of being from the Serengeti , which involved him wearing leopard and tiger - print trunks , and possessing the mannerisms of an African predatory animal . At TNA Final Resolution pay - per - view , Brown defeated Kevin Nash and Diamond Dallas Page in a three - way elimination match to receive a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship . He lost his championship match to Jarrett later that night . Planet Jarrett ( 2005 ) . Two months later , Brown turned heel during the main event of March ' s Destination X event by attacking Page to help Jarrett retain to the championship . Brown soon joined the Planet Jarrett stable and spent several months feuding with Jarrett ' s enemies : Kevin Nash , Sean Waltman , Diamond Dallas Page , and A . J . Styles . Late in the year , he began teaming with fellow Planet Jarrett member Kip James , helping him battle the 3Live Kru in an attempt to convince Kru member B . G . James to reform his former tag team , the New Age Outlaws , with Kip . Brown and James faced Kru members Ron Killings and Konnan at Sacrifice in August in a match with B . G . as special guest referee , with both Kip and the remainder of the Kru urging him to take their respective side . B . G . eventually took the side of Konnan and Killings , costing Brown and James the match . Following the defeat , Brown insisted that he be the one to lead the team . On August 26 he turned his back on Jarrett , claiming that their agreement was broken NWA Heavyweight Championship pursuit ( 2005 - 2006 ) . At Unbreakable on September 11 , Brown declared his intention to challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Bound For Glory . After defeating Lance Hoyt at Bound For Glory , Brown took part in a ten - man Gauntlet for the Gold match for number one contendership to the Championship , but eliminated himself from the match , by taking Jeff Hardy and himself over the top rope simultaneously . Brown did win number one contendership at November ' s Genesis with a singles victory over Jeff Hardy . After an altercation with the newly debuted Christian Cage , Brown agreed to put his championship shot on the line in a match against Cage at Turning Point in December . He lost the match to Cage , however , losing his championship opportunity in the process . On the December 17 episode of Impact ! , Brown renewed his alliance with Jarrett , with both men bitter towards TNA management in storyline . On the January 7 , 2006 episode of Impact ! , Jarrett and Brown enacted a skit mocking Sting , who had recently signed with TNA and was set to team with Christian Cage against Brown and Jarrett at Final Resolution . The Alpha Male posed as the Sting of 2006 , complete with make - up and baby stroller . Sting and Cage defeated Brown and Jarrett at Final Resolution when Sting pinned Jarrett after a Scorpion Death Drop . After Christian Cage won the World Heavyweight Title , Brown received a shot at Destination X , but did not win the title . Following Destination X , Brown underwent surgery on his knee , which had previously " blown out " . He returned to in - ring competition on April 29 , 2006 in a match in Germany and TNA television on the May 18 episode of Impact ! — where he ( kayfabe ) demanded to be included in the King of the Mountain match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary in June . After he failed to qualify for the King of the Mountain match , he engaged in a short feud with Rhino and Samoa Joe before his TNA contract expired and left the company . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2006 - 2007 ) . On November 16 , 2006 , World Wrestling Entertainment announced that Brown had signed a contract with the company through their official website . He debuted for their ECW brand under the ring name " The Alpha Male " Marquis Cor Von on January 16 , 2007 , in a win over fellow TNA alumnus Cassidy Riley . Reportedly the name change was motivated by World Wrestling Entertainment ' s desire to have him appear under a name they could trademark . One week later , the spelling of the first name was tweaked to Marcus . Not long after his debut , he was made a part of the forming New Breed stable , and with them feuded with the ECW Originals climaxing in an 8 - man tag at WrestleMania . After the feud died down , Cor Von took several months off for unspecified " family issues " , then was released from his WWE contract on September 19 , 2007 without making a return to television . After his release , he retired from pro wrestling . Personal life . Brown attended Bridgeport High School , where he played basketball for three years under coach Jimmy Sanders , with whom he is good friends . During his early professional wrestling career , Brown supplemented his income by running his own T - shirt company . After leaving WWE , Brown began working on a range of athletic clothing called " Scripture Clothing " . As of 2011 , Brown has retired from professional wrestling and now works as a personal trainer .