STATESBORO — Senior running back Robert Brown, who was a major factor in the success of the triple option at Georgia Southern in 2010, has been medically disqualified from further participating in football practice or competition, the school announced Tuesday.
Brown had back surgery last summer. He played in four games to start the 2012 season, suffered an injury, and returned for one additional game in October before being sidelined for the rest of the year. He finished his career with 2,063 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as well as 11 receptions for 97 yards.
Brown will remain with the team and assist the program in another capacity.
Brown debuted as a freshman in the 2010 season opener at Paulson Stadium, rushing for 122 yards, the first time a freshman had rushed for more than 100-yards in a game since Adrian Peterson in 1998, and the first time a true freshman had accomplished the feat since Joe Ross in 1987.
His best outing came in 2010 at William & Mary in the second round of the playoffs as he ran for a team-leading 178 yards and the Eagles’ first touchdown in the 31-15 upset.
His most memorable moment may have been his 4-yard score against Appalachian State earlier in that season as the touchdown would prove to be the gamewinner in the victory over the nation’s top-ranked team.
In that extraordinary 2010 season, Brown led the Eagles in rushing in six games, including 153 yards against Western Carolina with the longest run of his career, an 80-yard touchdown. His back-to-back performances garnered him back-to-back Southern Conference Freshman of the Week honors and he was named to the league’s All-Freshman team.
Brown eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the NCAA semifinals game at Delaware and scored a touchdown. He matched the accomplishments of the two Eagle greats again, as the first to run for 1,000 yards in his first collegiate season since Peterson (1998) and first true freshman to do so since Joe Ross (1987). He ended the season with 1,004 yards.
The Macon native came close to the milestone in 2011 with 937 yards in 13 games, averaging nearly seven yards per rushing attempt, with 11 plays of 20 or more yards. Brown recorded three more games of 100 yards rushing or more, including a 169-yard outing to help the Eagles fight their way to a win over Chattanooga. Brown earned SoCon second-team honors from the for his second season.