Curtis Brown ( running back , born 1984 ) Curtis Brown ( born March 3 , 1984 ) is an American former football running back . He briefly played for the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2007 . Brown played college football at BYU , where he set the school record for rushing yards . Early life . Brown was born on March 3 , 1984 in Palmdale , California to parents Herman and Cheryl Brown . He attended Paraclete High School in Lancaster , California , where he played interscholastic football . As a freshman , he recorded 1 , 094 rushing yards . During his sophomore year , he set the California state record for rushing with 2 , 645 yards . During his senior season , Paraclete finished with a perfect 12 – 0 record and secured its fourth consecutive CIF Division XII championship . In total , Brown amassed 7 , 045 career yards during his high school years . His honors included a place on the 1999 All - California Interscholastic Federation Division XII team and selection as an All - CIF Division XII Co - Offensive Player of the Year . College career . Brown was recruited out of high school by Washington State , Clemson , Idaho State , UCLA , and Miami ( Ohio ) , before he ultimately committed to attend Brigham Young University . He later said he believed his experience at a private high school prepared him for the culture shock of the overwhelmingly Mormon , predominately white campus at Brigham Young , but was surprised at the difficulty of the adjustment . During his freshman year at BYU , he considered transferring to another school . In February , 2004 , Brown was baptized and confirmed as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints . His mother , who like the rest of his family is not a Mormon , expressed happiness for Brown ' s decision and appreciation for the support of the BYU community . Brown played alongside running back Fahu Tahi , whom he nicknamed " Pops " for his extended tenure with the Cougars . During Brown ' s time at BYU , he was mentored by former record - setting running back Luke Staley . As a true freshman during the 2002 season , he saw action in all twelve games . Against , Brown replaced injured starter Marcus Whalen , and rushed for 217 yards and three touchdown s , and made four reception s for 48 yards . Brown became the fourth BYU player to run for more than 200 yards in a single game . The performance helped the Cougars recover from a deficit to win , 35 – 34 , and earned him honors as the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week . Brown sat out the 2003 season as a redshirt . In 2004 , Brown played in all eleven games and was named to the All - Mountain West Conference second team . Against UNLV , BYU lost , 24 – 20 . In the game , Brown received only eight carries , but ran for 102 yards , and " the Rebels were seemingly helpless to stop " him . " The Salt Lake City Tribune " noted that he refused to criticize the playcalling of head coach Gary Crowton and instead replied , " I just do my thing . " Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn said of Brown , " He ' s got some strong legs . Las Vegas put some great shots on him and he ran through some tackle s . You ' ve really got to bring your feet when you tackle this guy . " Against San Diego State , Brown recorded 106 rushing yards on 16 carries , which made him the first BYU player since 2001 to post four consecutive 100 - yard performances . He gave credit for his play to the BYU offensive line . Brown pushed his college career mark past 1 , 000 rushing yards in the game against New Mexico , which made him only the fourth BYU player to surpass that number as a sophomore . As a junior in 2005 , Brown recorded 210 carries for 1 , 123 rushing yards and 53 receptions for 454 receiving yards . He was named to the All - Mountain West Conference first team , and was twice named the conference ' s Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Air Force and Wyoming . In his final season in 2006 , he repeated as an All - Mountain West Conference first team selection and recorded 1 , 010 rushing yards . John Beck and Brown became the first BYU quarterback - tailback tandem to twice record 3 , 000 passing yards and 1 , 000 rushing yards , respectively , in the same season . Brown became the all - time rushing leader at BYU during his senior year . From 2002 to 2006 , he accumulated 3 , 218 career yards , which eclipsed the previous mark set by Jamal Willis . After breaking the rushing record , Brown praised the play of the offensive line rather than take credit for the accomplishment himself . He averaged over five yards per carry during his college tenure . Brown ' s record was in turn surpassed by Harvey Unga on November 21 , 2009 . After college , Brown was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals and played on the team during the 2007 preseason . He saw action in all four games and recorded stats against Detroit , New Orleans , and Indianapolis . Ultimately , he did not make the team ' s final roster .