Spencer Brown was at home in Birmingham, Alabama on August 5 when the phone rang. The running back had left the Edmonton Elks, where he had been on the practice roster, to return south of the Mason-Dixon line to tend to a personal matter.
On the other end of the line was John Murphy, the senior advisor to the general manager of the Toronto Argonauts. He let the running back know that the Argos had acquired his playing rights from the Elks for a paltry conditional 8th round pick in next year’s CFL Draft.
“When I got home, I was just seeing what the next option was,” Brown told Argonauts.ca. “The next thing I know my phone rings and it’s Toronto. Talking to John he said, ‘We want you here, we traded for you. Come on up here.”
It was something that Brown hadn’t felt in a while, a feeling of being wanted.
A native of Warrior, Alabama, a short drive up I-65 from Birmingham, he stayed home to play his college ball at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was a superstar. Brown finished his career as UAB’s career leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns, and most 100-yard games.
In his final two seasons with the Blazers, he’d rush for 2,556 yards. He was named All-Conference USA three times, and twice was named the championship game MVP, rushing for 156 and 149 yards in those two games.
Sadly, success at the college level doesn’t always translate to the pros. He spent three seasons on the Carolina Panthers practice squad, then a training camp with the Atlanta Falcons. The 26-year-old signed with Hamilton in January of this year but was released and signed with Edmonton.
He’s now in an organization that’s genuinely happy to have him here.
“It’s anything I could ever ask for,” he said of his experience in Toronto. “Just getting back and playing ball. They’re giving me the opportunity, it’s a blessing. I was in the league (NFL) for almost four years kind of chasing my tail. I got up here and they’re giving me as much as I can handle, I’m blessed.”
The Argos feel the same way. Brown is the fifth running back to start a game for the team this season, joining Deonta McMahon, Miyan Williams, Khalan Laborn, and Kevin Brown. Though there have been flashes, the running game was almost non-existent, at least until the last two games with the Alabamian as the starter. He’s rushed for 175 yards in those outings, adding 98 receiving yards.
“He’s given us a downhill element to our run game,” head coach Ryan Dinwiddie told Argonauts.ca. “He’s done a really good job in the pass game; when stuff does break down, we’ve found him on checkdowns, he’s moving the chains on second and long. For him to make an impact this early is pretty impressive.”
The revolving door at the position has made it tough to establish a running game. When the word “cohesion” is used in football parlance, the two positions that quickly come to mind are the offensive line and the defensive secondary because if those units aren’t working as one, the result can be disastrous.
The same can be said with so many changes at running back.
“It’s different,” Dinwiddie explained. “It’s not comforting for anybody. Spencer has done a good job of understanding (pass) protections, and that’s always the most important thing. We’ve got to run it downhill, and you see him kick through some tackles. I feel more comfortable as a play caller calling runs on second and short.”
Brown is pragmatic about his indoctrination into a new style of football for him.
“Football is football,” he said. “You can throw me the ball, you can hand me the ball, I can block for you, as long as I’m out there it all fits.”
As for Saturday’s game, it’s against Edmonton, the team that traded Brown just five weeks ago. He says there’s no revenge factor involved.
“It’s just another game. I’ve got nothing but love for those guys, they were going to give me an opportunity. Things didn’t work out. It will be good to see those guys again and play against them.”
As for Toronto itself, Brown hasn’t had a lot of time to check out his new home as he’s been too busy studying the playbook. There is, however, one aspect of the city he’s been quick to pick up on.
“The traffic is crazy, I do know that much.”
Sounds like he’s fitting in just fine.