BROWNS Injury woes hurt Brown in his quest for success

The former No. 1 overall draft pick has struggled with a variety of ailments.
BEREA (AP) -- Earlier this week, Browns defensive end Courtney Brown returned to his old position -- the sideline.
Misfortune, bad breaks and freak injuries have kept Brown, the former No. 1 overall draft pick, off the field for 20 games in his four-year NFL career with Cleveland.
Yet despite setbacks and surgery, Brown said he never once has considered retiring.
"That time hasn't come yet," he said. "I've got a lot of football left in me."
The Browns would love to have the 6-foot-4, 290-pound physical specimen for a full season. He hasn't played in all 16 games since he was a rookie in 2000, when he emerged as one of the league's rising stars.
Since then, Brown's growth has been slowed by an assortment of ailments.
He missed the first six games in 2001 with a knee injury and the last five with a badly sprained ankle. In 2002, Brown missed one game with a neck injury and the final four, including a playoff matchup with Pittsburgh, with cartilage damage in his knee which required microfracture surgery.
He bounced back from that a year ago, recording a career-high six sacks before rupturing his biceps tendon and missing the final three games.
Fighting through it
Brown, though, isn't dwelling on his cursed past.
"It's been tough," said Brown, who missed two days of practice this week to rest his knees. "The injuries are something that I've had to overcome. I can't change that and I can't focus on those things anymore. Nobody wants to be injured. I just want to go out there and play."
When he does, Brown is something to behold.
Blessed with amazing quickness for his size, Brown is too fast for most offensive linemen to handle. His long arms also allow him to tie up tackles before they can get their hands on him.
"He's a freak of nature," said end Kenard Lang, who has served as Brown's unofficial spokesman the past two years. "I've played with some great defensive ends, like Bruce Smith. Courtney can do a lot of stuff Bruce Smith could not do."
Like what?
"He's got a stiff arm that can drive [Ryan] Tucker back," Lang said. "He does it so easy."
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Tucker faces Brown everyday in practice, and says when healthy, the former Penn State All-American is as good as any lineman in the league.
"He's a beast," Tucker said. "I know that I'm getting a lot better playing against that guy."
Brittle body
Brown's injury problems have led many to wonder if his chiseled body may also be uncommonly brittle. The Browns, too, were concerned enough about his apparent fragility that they signed free agent Ebenezer Ekuban this off-season as insurance in case Brown gets hurt again.
A rash of injuries like Brown has sustained would be enough to make any player ponder his future. But in Lang's mind, that's what makes Brown so special.
"He's a strong man, physically and spiritually," Lang said. "I've never heard Courtney complain, cry or whine. You respect a man like that. He works hard and does what it takes."
To his credit, Brown is determined to overcome all the adversity. He refuses to give up on his goals and wants to be known for his performance and not his promise.
"I have to put everything behind me," he said. "This time I think I can do it."
It's that drive that has Brown's teammates rooting for him.
"I'd rather see him do well than myself," Lang said. "I'd rather see him taste success than salt every year."