John Brown - Pittsburg State University
Football Student-Athlete, 2011-13
John Brown finished his illustrious three-year career at Pittsburg State University as a three-time NCAA Division II All-America wide receiver and return specialist for the Gorillas. Brown was a consensus All-America pick his final two seasons. He was also twice tabbed the MIAA and the NCAA Division II Special Teams Player of the Year (2012-13).
Brown set PSU career records with 185 receptions for 3,387 yards and 34 touchdowns. He caught 61 passes for 1,216 yards and totaled 12 touchdowns while helping the Gorillas to the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship. Brown also averaged 26.9 yards on kickoff returns and 13.6 yards on punt returns. He compiled 6,244 all-purpose yards and scored 278 career points for the Gorillas. He was selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft (with pick 91) by the Arizona Cardinals. During his nine-year NFL career, Brown caught 321 passes for 4,790 yards and 32 touchdowns while playing for the Cardinals (2014-17), Baltimore Ravens (2018), Buffalo Bills (2019-20, ’22), Las Vegas Raiders (2021), Denver Broncos (2021), Jacksonville Jaguars (2021) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2021).
Brown was inducted into the Pittsburg State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.
>> Watch 2025 MIAA Awards Celebration <<