Zach Brown is a country boy at heart.
From the fancy-schmancy Ford pickup (keyless ignition, leather seats) he drives to the country music he pumps through its speakers, this freshman kicker is a country boy.
Growing up around Keizer, Ore., a town with a population of 35,435, gave him plenty of opportunities to indulge his big-sky-open-spaces tendencies.
“I enjoy being able to ride four wheelers around at night, making noise and not worrying about people getting mad. I like driving around our property and making dust—getting dirty,” Brown said.
Brown started playing flag football in fifth grade and moved up to tackle football the following year, but his foray into the world of sports began at a much younger age.
He began playing soccer at 4 years old, and continued with it until the end of his high school career. He played on a traveling soccer team and was a two-time state champion in club soccer.
At McNary High School, he excelled in other sports as well, including basketball and track.
While his athletic talents enabled him to play a multitude of sports, Brown always knew he would play football in college.
“I pictured college football as a bigger sport than soccer. I didn’t want to show up to a game with 20 people watching because it’s just not as much without people watching. I [play] to entertain people,” Brown said.
One of the people he most enjoys entertaining is his mother.
“She’s the only one who has been there my whole life,” he said.
Brown tries to stay close to his family because he says he doesn’t have much of it. He tries to make it home every weekend to “at least just say hi.”
Wanting to stay close to his family, Brown was pleased when head coach Jerry Glanville offered him a scholarship to play at Portland State. Making the offer even more attractive, Glanville agreed to let him play receiver.
After redshirting last year, Brown played with the team as an emergency kicker and punter. At the beginning of this season, he seemed set to work his way up the receiving depth chart.
However, after the first game against Oregon State, which saw a missed field goal from 38 yards out by presumed starter Wade Penner, Glanville decided to have Brown attempt kicking duties.
In Brown’s first start against Southern Oregon University, he proved more than ready to be the team’s leg. During that 34-10 win, Brown made field goals from 52 and 46 yards.
At the press conference afterward, the very first thing Glanville said was, “We found our kicker.”
Since then, Brown has put together about as good a season as a kicker could possibly have.
Last weekend, against Montana State at home, Brown broke the school record for field goals made in a season with 16, breaking the mark set just last year by Danny Urrego.
He also holds two of the seven school records for field goals made from 50 yards or more. One of those kicks, a 50-yarder in the win against Northern Colorado, came in the driving snow and is certainly the most iconic of his kicking career so far.
Brown is also the leading kicker in the Big Sky Conference. He has also been ranked as high as third in the nation in field goals made per game. He is currently ranked eighth with 1.6 per game after being given only one shot at the uprights last weekend.
As if he could be any more impressive, Brown’s kickoffs average 65 yards and there have been a couple of times that he made the full-throttle tackle to stop the kick returner. Oh, and he has two receptions for 29 yards.
Still, with the team struggling this season and recording only two wins entering this weekend’s matchup against Idaho State, Brown is finding it difficult to appreciate this season.
“I don’t even think I’m doing that well. I missed a few,” he said.
As a freshman, Brown will have several more years on the team, and at least one more under Glanville, whose contract expires after next season.
Instead of dreading what may come next season after such a disappointing year, Brown is actually looking forward to it.
“I wouldn’t say it’s harder to get excited [about next year]. If anything, we have nothing to lose. We can just continue getting better,” said an optimistic Brown.
Longest field goals in PSU history (50+ yards)
1. 55 Pat Moore, 1975
2. 53 Mike Erickson, 1986
3. 52 Zach Brown, 2009
52 Mike Erickson, 1987
52 John Kincheloe, 1979
6. 50 Zach Brown, 2009
50 John Kincheloe, 1980
Most field goals made in a season at PSU
16 (23) Zach Brown, 2009
15 (23) Danny Urrego, 2008
14 (19) Dan Frantz, 1999
14 (21) Eric Azorr, 2006
14 (22) Mike Cajal-Willis, 2002