University of North Carolina Athletics
Jason Brown
Jason Brown: From One Field To Another
November 22, 2017 | Football, Student-Athlete Development, Carolina Outreach
Note: This story originally appeared on UNC.edu, along with a video produced by Aaron Moger. To read the full story and watch the video, click here.
by Brandon Bieltz, University Communications
Despite all his talent on the football field, Jason Brown has always wanted his legacy to extend beyond the white lines of the gridiron.
"I wanted people to remember me for my heart and community service and how much I've given back," he said.
The athletic talent led Brown to UNC-Chapel Hill where he was a three-year starter at center for the Tar Heels, and then to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams.
But it was that drive to make an impact, rooted in his upbringing and fostered at Carolina, that led Brown to leave football at the age of 28 and instead cultivate a 1,000-acre farm to combat food insecurity in North Carolina.
"At Carolina, it just gave me a sense that I wanted to make an impact," he said. "When you're there, you have a sense that you want to be a part of something special — no matter who you are. When you leave, you wanted to do the same thing. You want to be a part of something special and you want to do something special out in the world to make an impact."
Today, Brown's First Fruits Farm donates more than 200,000 pounds of sweet potatoes to local food banks, directly helping community members put food on their tables.
"We are a donation-first farm," Brown said. "My wife and I made a covenant with God that whatever we produce on his farm, that we're going to give our local communities our first fruits of whatever is grown from our farm."
Read the full story and watch the accompanying video.
by Brandon Bieltz, University Communications
Despite all his talent on the football field, Jason Brown has always wanted his legacy to extend beyond the white lines of the gridiron.
"I wanted people to remember me for my heart and community service and how much I've given back," he said.
The athletic talent led Brown to UNC-Chapel Hill where he was a three-year starter at center for the Tar Heels, and then to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams.
But it was that drive to make an impact, rooted in his upbringing and fostered at Carolina, that led Brown to leave football at the age of 28 and instead cultivate a 1,000-acre farm to combat food insecurity in North Carolina.
"At Carolina, it just gave me a sense that I wanted to make an impact," he said. "When you're there, you have a sense that you want to be a part of something special — no matter who you are. When you leave, you wanted to do the same thing. You want to be a part of something special and you want to do something special out in the world to make an impact."
Today, Brown's First Fruits Farm donates more than 200,000 pounds of sweet potatoes to local food banks, directly helping community members put food on their tables.
"We are a donation-first farm," Brown said. "My wife and I made a covenant with God that whatever we produce on his farm, that we're going to give our local communities our first fruits of whatever is grown from our farm."
Read the full story and watch the accompanying video.
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