Matt Rhule details what makes Elliott Brown unique at Nebraska

Nebraska wide receiver Elliot Brown has only appeared in three total games in his career for the Cornhuskers since joining the program ahead of the 2020 season. Redshirting as a freshman, not appearing in a game in 2022, and suffering a season-ending knee injury last year after appearing in two games for Nebraska.

Brown hasn’t made an impact on the field the way he may have expected heading into the 2024 season, but off the field his impact is immeasurable. Which head coach Matt Rhule recently discussed during a press conference.

“I think the unique thing about Elliot is that Elliott, he literally is a player who runs his own camps and goes and speaks at schools on his own,” Rhule said. “Who’s been hurt and tore his ACL and rehab is way ahead of schedule.”

So like literally we’re running a camp, an Omaha youth camp, he’s like my camps are run so much better than this Rhule. I was like, wow, he’s probably right, though.”

Brown is an Omaha, Nebraska who attended Elkhorn South High School where he played quarterback. Choosing to walk on for the Cornhuskers over scholarship offers to play football at Division II programs like Northwest Missouri State, Augustana, and Nebraska–Kearney. Now playing for his dream school and serving in a unique role for Nebraska.

“And he basically works, he’s working for us, as a player development liaison,” Rhule revealed. “You would never hire a player to talk to other players, except for Elliot Brown. Because he’s just a different type of guy and the players love him.”

According to Rhule, Brown isn’t the only player on his roster who’s cut from the same cloth as Brown. Players that can make a major impact off the field for a program and serve as important foundational pieces of building culture. A culture that Rhule is looking to creating ahead of his second season at the helm for the Cornhuskers.

“But yes, we have a ton of glue guys here. We don’t have any device of guys, and most teams I’ve coached you’ve had a couple … We don’t. We’re so lucky to have the Cornhusker guys, like the dyed in the wool Nebraska guys who they think they bring the locker room together in a unique way,” Rhule said.

“I think Jahmal Banks has been a guy like that coming in with his focus on not just football, but academics and all that other stuff. But I think I think Elliot’s just kind of an outlier and just a really special, special person,” Rhule concluded.