Wrook Brown's confidence radiating in UW's secondary

After a career-long 56-yard field goal by John Hoyland got the Cowboys back within two scores, nickelback Wrook Brown made the biggest play of his career, picking off Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough near the west sideline to sway the momentum in UW’s favor.

Brown’s first-career interception was the turning point of the game, according to former UW coach Craig Bohl. The turnover sparked a monumental comeback, ending in a 35-33 double-overtime win for the Cowboys on national TV.

“That (interception) started to (make us think), ‘OK, we can make plays, too,’” Bohl said after the game. “So, that’s when I saw it.”

Brown ended his first season as a full-time starter with three interceptions to go along with 47 tackles, four pass deflections and a fumble recovery. Most would assume he played wide receiver in high school after seeing his interception on Shough, but he learned to catch footballs through a less conventional avenue.

“I have to shout out my dad for that one,” Brown told WyoSports with a laugh last week. “We played a lot of catch in the yard. We ran a slot-T (offense) in high school, and I was a running back, so we were lucky if we threw four passes a game.

“I guess I learned to catch just by messing around with my friends and my brother and my dad in the yard.”

Brown made his first-career start in a road game against New Mexico in 2022, corralling 10 tackles, a mark that still stands as his career high. His dominant introduction to the starting lineup earned him six more starts that season, and 10 more last fall.

“That was a good game to get my feet wet, because that one was really just playing football,” Brown said about the matchup in Albuquerque. “See ball, get ball, and I think that’s what every football player likes to do, just to have it (simplified) so you can just play football.”

Brown’s emergence in the Cowboys’ secondary hasn’t gone unnoticed by first-year head coach Jay Sawvel. The former defensive coordinator was also UW’s safeties coach before being promoted, so he has firsthand experience with the Salado, Texas, product.

“Wrook is a really good football player,” Sawvel said last week. “He doesn’t wow you with all his testing numbers and all these things that way — he runs well, he does do that — but, what Wrook does, he can run the same speed on play one or on play 90. He keeps playing through the course of a game.

“... With Wrook, it’s one of those things that’s in the, ‘Who knew?’ category. When he got to play in his first start against New Mexico, I didn’t know what was going to happen. We tried to keep it simple and do some things that way, and then what happened was, once he got in a flow, his confidence grew. He just kept getting better and better and better.”

Brown’s confidence is a trait he carries with him on his sleeve. It’s a beam that starting strong safety Isaac White has seen grown stronger over the past two seasons.

“He’s come really far,” White told WyoSports with a laugh. “I remember when he first got here, it was a little rough watching him. But he’s developed a lot. He’s really coachable, so he’s been learning from us and learning the nickel position and getting better every single day.

“He works really hard in the offseason on his technique, so he’s gotten a lot better since he first got here, for sure.”

Brown’s primary responsibilities on defense center on covering slot receivers in man coverage. While he’s listed at just 5-foot-11 and 184 pounds, he makes up for his lack of size with a nose for the ball.

His three interceptions led the Cowboys last fall, and was also tied for sixth in the Mountain West.

“That was a big emphasis last offseason,” Brown said. “It’s a big emphasis for us this year, too. That was good, and hopefully we can keep that ball rolling.

“There were times last year where I think I was still playing a little more hesitant than I should have been, but now that the defense knows that we have the confidence to make some of these plays, I think we’ll make some more of them.”

Brown didn’t know what to expect when he came to Laramie in 2021. He carved out a role on special teams before proving he belonged on the field in the secondary against New Mexico two seasons ago.

Now, Brown finds it important to keep things in perspective. Being reminded of how far he’s come with the Cowboys is a constant motivator for how much further he still wants to go.

“It’s all been great,” Brown said with a smile. “It’s pretty cool, because one of my family members will take a picture of the starting lineup on the TV, and I’ll be on there. That’s cool.

“Really, (my favorite part has) just been being able to contribute. I’ve contributed on special teams before, and it’s just always good to know you’re doing something good to help the team.”

Brown is as shy as they come off the field, but as soon as he steps on the turf, his competitive nature takes over. It’s an energy he wants to radiate to the rest of the Cowboys’ defense this fall.

Sawvel doesn’t take that energy for granted.

“There would always be games where you sit there and look at it and go, ‘Do we need to do anything to protect Wrook?’ and then Wrook would play very, very well,” Sawvel said. “So, he’s a really valuable person to our team. He makes very few mental mistakes. He plays his ass off.

“Other than the fact that he’s got a scraggly beard and looks like crap half the time that way, he’s a really good football player.”