Running back Ronnie Brown was at the Detroit Lions practice facility in Allen Park, Mich. last Wednesday. He arrived in town early that morning, took a physical and had a locker with his No. 36 jersey number in place. He was getting into the game plan when he was called to see head coach Jim Schwartz at around 5:30 in the evening.
"I was like, 'What have I done already?' Brown said.
Brown was traded on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for Lions running back Jerome Harrison and an undisclosed draft pick. However, the trade was nixed after Harrison failed his physical. Harrison didn't fail for the typical reasons one might think of - weight, injury. Harrison was diagnosed with brain cancer.
"I'm just glad that he found out his situation before a couple of weeks down the road and nobody ever knows anything and it turns into something worse than it was," Brown said. "It's good he found out, got that taken care of. I'm excited about that."
Brown admitted that he anticipated the opportunity to be more deeply involved in the game plan with the Lions, who were in need of insurance for injured tailback Jahvid Best. Brown, a Pro Bowl running back who signed with the Eagles this offseason, has 13 carries for 38 yards in 2011. With LeSean McCoy having a Pro Bowl season of his own, Brown understands that there aren't enough carries to go around.
"I don't think (McCoy's) had a great number of carries in perspective to some of the other top five guys rushing," Brown said. "He's done a great job of what he's been able to do. I think there's not enough opportunities to run the ball which is the situation. I think you realize that and just move on."
Brown said that he will be a "professional" and still put in the work to help this football team.
"I've been around, for what, this is my seventh season. There is a business side to this. Unfortunately, these are some of the things you have to deal with," Brown said. "It doesn't make or break you. Obviously, this is something that happens. Now, you have to come in and from my side of it, my perspective, I'm going to be a professional. I'm going to be where I'm supposed to be and do the things I need to do and try to see how I can get better each day still."
In fact, Brown will make an appearance at South Philadelphia High School on Tuesday morning to make an anti-violence and anti-bullying presentation to the students on behalf of his "23 WAYS to Stop Youth Violence" in conjunction with Eagles Youth Partnership. Brown began the program in Miami (his jersey number was No. 23) and last school year touched the lives of nearly 14,000 students in South Florida.
"Fortunately for us, we have a chance at this level to touch people's lives outside of what we do on the football field," Brown said. "No matter what background you're from or what you're aspect in life, what kind of struggles you grew up with, you can always overcome those things."
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