Kevin Brown wasn’t even in high school when UPS was using its most famous slogan, but if the global shipping company ever decides to bring back “What can brown do for you”, it has a natural pitchman in the Edmonton Elks newcomer.
That’s because Brown delivers just as promised.
On Saturday against the Toronto Argonauts at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium, the rookie running back scored the first touchdown of his CFL career, taking a hand-off from Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius on first-and-goal and pushing his way through Argos defenders over the goal line.
“You’ve just got to dig deep, and if you want something bad enough there’s nothing that’s going to stop you,” Brown said during a postgame interview with the Elks radio duo of Dave Campbell and Morley Scott on CISN 103.9 FM. “Shoutout to the O-line for getting me to that second and third level.”
Saturday marked Brown’s sixth game with the Green and Gold since signing a contract on Sept. 1. He has quickly emerged as one of the top ground-gainers in the CFL, but the endzone had eluded him until the fourth quarter against Toronto.
Earlier in the week, Brown had been asked by media about scoring a touchdown. His response hinted that the big moment might be coming.
“I don’t know what it Is, because I’m trying my hardest to get in there,” Brown said following practice last Wednesday. “I can get yards, but I just can’t get in that endzone. But I’m going to figure it out, though.”
Brown finished Saturday’s game with 121 rushing yards, the most by an Elks player in the 2022 season, and added another nine yards from three receptions.
In just half a dozen games, the Mount Pleasant, S.C., native has rushed for 466 yards on 67 carries, and caught an incredible 16 of 17 targets for 111 receiving yards. Brown’s average of 77.7 rushing yards per game played is second highest in the entire CFL, trailing on that of star Calgary Stampeders back Ka’Deem Carey, who is averaging 77.9 yards rushing per game.
Brown is now the first Edmonton rookie with multiple 100-yard rushing games in a season since 2010, when Daniel Porter hit the century mark four times for the Green and Gold. The 26-year-old, who just celebrated his birthday on Oct. 9, needs only 34 yards in the Elks’ season finale, this coming Friday at home against the B.C. Lions, to become the first rookie to record a 500-rushing yard season since Shakir Bell seven years ago.
Tickets for Friday night’s game are available now through Ticketmaster.