NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients
Biography
Justin Brown was one of the finest all-around scholar-athletes ever to attend Newport High School (Ark.) Brown’s excellence in the classroom included a 3.9 GPA. He also served as Student Council President during his senior year and Class President as a junior and sophomore. On the gridiron, Brown was selected Preseason All-America prior to his senior campaign, and he was named to the Blue-Chip and Prep Magazine All-America squads.
As a 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive lineman and offensive tackle, Brown earned Arkansas All-State honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. He set a school record for most quarterback sacks in a season with 18, and he helped lead his teams to records of 9-3, 10-3 and 12-1. Brown was a two-year member of the National Honor Society, a member of Students Against Drunk Driving and a member of the Spanish Club.
Brown lettered as a freshman at the University of Arkansas, and he started seven games as a sophomore. He had to quit football after a physical revealed an irregular heartbeat. In 1998, while awaiting a heart transplant, Brown passed away at the age of 21.
