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The junior running back’s father, Eric Brown (’92), suited up for the Wildcats in the late 1980s and early ’90s, and De’Andre was raised on his stories of Wildcat football. But when it came time to pick a college, the deciding factor was ACU’s commitment to its Christian mission.
“I chose it because of my search for spiritual growth,” De’Andre says. “I knew ACU and its football program would help me be a better football player, as well as a better man.”
Eric Brown’s experience at Abilene Christian also helped De’Andre realize he was headed in the right direction, he says.
“I’ve always wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps in everything, because I think he is the coolest guy on this earth,” De’Andre says. “The opportunity to play at the same university as he did reassured me I was on the right path to becoming a good man – just like him.”
During his more than two years at ACU, De’Andre has excelled on the field and in the classroom. In Spring 2016, De’Andre joined 90 other Abilene Christian athletes on the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll, a prestigious list recognizing student athletes with 3.0 or higher GPAs. And in his first two years with the Wildcats, he has already tallied eight games with more than 100 yards rushing.
Head coach Ken Collums knows what he has in #22. “De’Andre is the core of our offense,” Collums says. “He is a leader, he’s a wonderful person – very humble, but a fierce competitor.”
And De’Andre knows this opportunity would not be possible without all the people who helped make his ACU dream a reality.
“From my parents to those that set up the scholarships to make my education possible – I understand how blessed I am to go here,” he says. “I am forever grateful for this opportunity. Thank you to those donors, and I promise that you didn’t waste a single cent on me.”