Northwestern draws prospect from Lisbon

Sunday, August 20, 2006 ESPN.com ranked him as the 35th best defensive end prospect nationally. By ZACH STIPE VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER LISBON — Lisbon High School, not to mention Columbiana County, doesn't usually produce many blue-chip, Division I-A football recruits. That is why Blue Devils senior Vince Browne deserves some recognition. The linebacker recently gave a verbal commitment to Northwestern, making him the first Blue Devil to commit to a Div. I-A football program since Zach Williams in 1995. Lisbon coach Jim Tsilimos called Browne the top athlete he has coached and said that he wasn't surprised at the attention the linebacker received from colleges. "When you are 6-5, 240 and have his athleticism," Tsilimos said, "[colleges] start coming around." After leading the Blue Devils in tackles last season as a linebacker and playing tight end and offensive tackle on offense, Browne started receiving interest from a variety of schools. After his performances at scouting camps and combines this past spring, big-time schools started noticing. Heading into his summer visit at Northwestern, Browne had narrowed his choices down to West Virginia, Syracuse, Colorado and the Wildcats. After his recent visit, Browne was set on the Evanston, Ill., school. "I liked the coaches, I liked the campus," Browne said. "It was the best opportunity for me; just playing Big Ten football and getting that caliber of an education. It was just a good fit for me." The Wildcats are still mourning the death of head coach Randy Walker, who died unexpectedly June 29. Thirty-one-year-old Pat Fitzgerald was elevated to head coach and played an integral part in luring Browne to Northwestern. "I don't think the program is in any trouble," Browne said. "[Fitzgerald's] a good coach. He'll pick up where Coach Walker left off." Position switch Browne, who is also a sprinter on the Blue Devils track team, will play tight end on offense and inside linebacker on defense for the Devils this year. Northwestern, however, plans to use Browne as a defensive end. ESPN.com ranks him as the 35th best prospect at that position in the country. The Wildcats think his size, strength and speed are better suited for the defensive line. It's a position change that Brown said he is "not at all" worried about. Tsilimos, entering his 17th year at Lisbon, described Browne as a hard worker and a leader, while adding that he is always the last person to leave the weight room. Then there are his on-field talents. "He's got a nose for where the football's going to be," Tsilimos said. "He gets to the ball really well on defense, and he's a physical blocker on offense." Tsilimos, who guided the Blue Devils to the Div. V state championship in 1995, said Browne still needs to work on some things, though. "It's just the little things, like making his reads at inside linebacker," he said. "He sometimes overreacts to a play because he's so quick he overruns it. But that's something every football player goes through, from the good ones to the average ones." "He's a great kid," Tsilimos added. "I'm glad for him. He's a hard worker and has a great family. He deserves everything he gets." Williams was the quarterback of the state championship team and attended Kent State, starting in 2000. Tsilimos hopes Browne, who is undecided about a major, can be successful on the field, but also in the classroom. "[Northwestern] is a great academic school," Tsilimos said. "It's Big Ten. It's a dream for a lot of kids. He's got a great opportunity to get a great education." zstipe@vindy.com