CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Notable: Had a hand in 16 career takeaways as a Nittany Lion (10 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles).
Career: Finished with 10 career interceptions at Penn State, good for a tie for 12th in program history...Posted 234 career interception return yards, the second-most at Penn State since 2000.
Season: 2021: Tallied six interceptions on the year, tied for 10th at Penn State...The six picks were the most by a Penn State player since Anthony Scirrotto also had six in 2006...Became the first Nittany Lion with six interceptions and two fumble recoveries in a season since Alan Zemaitis in 2005 (six interceptions, two fumble recoveries).
Game: 2021: Tallied an 87-yard interception return for a touchdown at Maryland (11/6), the fifth-longest interception return in school history.Bowl: 2021: Tallied two interceptions vs. Arkansas in the Outback Bowl (1/1), tying a Penn State bowl record...Thirteen players previously had two interceptions in a bowl game, most recently Derek Fox in the 1999 Alamo Bowl.
2022 • SENIOR (+) SEASON
Awards: Postseason: Selected third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media...Named a Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten third team selection...Named Penn State's team MVP and winner of the Iron Lion Award.Weekly: Tabbed Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Auburn, 9/17)...Was named honorable mention Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week (Auburn, 9/17). Game: Named Rose Bowl Game Defensive MVP (Utah, 1/2). Preseason: Named to the Bednarik Award, Jim Thorpe Award and Reese's Senior Bowl watch lists...Tabbed preseason All-Big Ten first team by Pro Football Focus.
Season: Started 13 games at safety...Owned 74 tackles (56 solo) with seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, three pass breakups and five quarterback hurries...Earned the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week three times (Auburn, 9/17; Northwestern, 10/1; Utah, 1/2)...Earned the coaching staff's Special Teams Player of the Week (Michigan State, 11/26)...Voted a team captain.
at Purdue (9/1): Made five solo stops. Ohio (9/10): Made five tackles (4 solo)...Added a half tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Auburn (9/17): Tallied five tackles (four solo), a sack, a forced fumble and an interception...Recorded a strip-sack in the third quarter, his first career sack and second career forced fumble...Picked off a pass deep in Penn State territory and returned it 27 yards in the third quarter. Central Michigan (9/24): Made four tackles (3 solo) with a pair of quarterback hurries...Hurry in the first quarter forced a Zakee Wheatley interception. Northwestern (10/1): Recorded an interception in the first quarter and returned it 30 yards...Made six tackles (5 solo) to go along with a tackle for loss...Added a quarterback hurry. at Michigan (10/15): Led the squad with nine tackles (4 solo), including one tackle for loss. Minnesota (10/22): Registered seven total tackles (6 solo)...Snagged his third interception of the season and ran it back 35 yards to spark a Nittany Lion scoring drive...Added a pass breakup. Ohio State (10/29): Led the squad with eight tackles (6 solo). at Indiana (11/5): Recorded three tackles (2 solo)...Picked up his second sack of the season. Maryland (11/12): Made three tackles (2 solo), including a sack...Added a pass breakup. at Rutgers (11/19): Picked up four tackles (2 solo)...Recovered a fumble that he returned 70 yards for a touchdown. Michigan State (11/26): Posted seven solo tackles...Forced a fumble...Added a quarterback hurry. vs. Utah (1/2): Recorded a career-high 1.5 sacks to go along with an interception and return of 22 yards in the Rose Bowl Game win.
2021 • SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Postseason: Named a third team All-Big Ten honoree by the coaches and honorable mention by the media. Weekly: Tabbed Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following the Maryland game (11/6)...Earned honorable mention honors from the Jim Thorpe Award following the Maryland game.
Season: Started all 13 games at safety...Was one of 13 Nittany Lions to make their first career start...Posted 73 tackles (61 solo) to go along with six interceptions, five pass breakups , two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and a tackle for loss...Had a hand in eight takeaways (six interceptions, two fumble recoveries)...Recorded 112 return yards on the six interceptions...Named the Coaching Staff's Defensive Player of the Week three times (Villanova, 9/25; Indiana, 10/2; Maryland, 11/6).
Rankings: Tied for the nation's lead with six interceptions...Ranked tied for third in the Big Ten and tied for 22nd nationally with two fumble recoveries.
at Wisconsin (9/4): Registered first career interception as time expired to secure the victory...Tallied five tackles (4 solo) and a pass breakup. Ball State (9/11): Recorded a solo tackle and a pass breakup. Auburn (9/18): Made three tackles (2 solo) while adding a pass breakup. Villanova (9/25): Tallied an interception, three solo tackles and a tackle for loss. Indiana (10/2): Picked off a pass in the fourth quarter...Added two solo tackles. at Iowa (10/9): Made five solo tackles. Illinois (10/23): Recorded a career-high 13 tackles (11 solo) and a pass breakup. at Ohio State (10/30): Forced and recovered a fumble in the first quarter, the first force and recovery of his career...Recorded seven tackles (6 solo). at Maryland (11/6): Had a hand in two takeaways at Maryland, recovering a fumble in the third quarter and recording an 87-yard pick-six to help seal the victory in the fourth quarter...Paced the team with nine tackles (8 solo). Michigan (11/13): Made five tackles (3 solo). Rutgers (11/20): Recorded four tackles (3 solo). at Michigan State (11/27): Tallied a team-high 10 tackles (8 solo) and a pass breakup. vs. Arkansas (1/1): Picked off a career-high two passes...Recorded an interception in the end zone to end Arkansas’ first drive...Second interception came in Arkansas’ final drive of the first half...Added six tackles (5 solo).
2020 • JUNIOR SEASON
Season: Appeared in nine games...One of 21 players to make their Nittany Lion debut...Made six tackles (5 solo) while adding a tackle for loss and pass breakup.
Ohio State (10/31): Tallied first career tackle for loss...Made two total tackles. Maryland (11/7): Collected one solo tackle. Iowa (11/21): Made one solo stop. at Michigan (11/28): Recorded one solo stop. at Rutgers (12/5): Made one solo tackle. Illinois (12/19): Broke up a pass, the first of his career.
2018-19 • LACKAWANNA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Guided the Falcons to the NJCAA Championship game with a 10-1 record...Helped the Falcons win the El Toro Bowl with a perfect 11-0 record and No. 6 national rankings in 2018...Selected as the Northeast Football Conference's (NEFC) Defensive Player of the Year in 2019...Named first-team All-NEFC as a sophomore...Chosen NJCAA All-America first team as a sophomore...Registered 35 tackles, three interceptions, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery in nine games as a sophomore...Tallied 40 tackles, five interceptions and three pass breakups as a freshman...Rated a three-star junior college prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals...Rated as the No. 9 overall junior college prospect, No. 2 safety and No. 1 recruit in New Jersey by 247Sports...Ranked as the No. 31 overall junior college recruit and No. 4 safety by ESPN...Ranked No. 12 overall junior college prospect by Rivals.
HIGH SCHOOL
Four-year letterman for head coach Greg Hyslop at Trenton Central High School...Was a two-time team captain...Earned first-team all-state honors as a senior...Named first-team all-conference three years...Participated in the Phil Simms North/South All-Star Game...Selected as the Defensive Player of the Game for the Phil Simms North/South All-Star Game...Played basketball...Led the state of New Jersey in steals (6.8 spg) as a senior.
PERSONAL
Full name is Ji'Ayir A'Veon Brown...Son of Joy Ingram...Has one brother, J'Ron, and two sisters, Ji'Asia and J'Selle...Majoring in telecommunications...Would like to become a sports analyst.