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Dyami Brown has done it the old-fashioned way – twice.
The former Tar Heel star has waited his turn with the Washington Commanders just as he did in three seasons with the Tar Heels.
Star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels gets most of the headlines, deservedly so, with the former Redskins who face the Eagles in the NFC championship game Sunday at 3 for a Super Bowl berth.
In college, Brown led the Tar Heels in receiving for his last two seasons under Mack Brown and Phil Longo. They turned him loose for Sam Howell with 2,033 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, leading the team both years. Who can forget the 40-yard TD pass he took away from a Clemson defender on the first possession of that memorable 21-20 loss to the defending national champion.
Brown was selected in the third round on the 82nd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by Washington and showed enough promise as a rookie that he emerged as their most dependable receiver over the last three seasons, this one with 308 yards for 13 first downs and his fourth career touchdown.
He has been overshadowed by fellow receiver Terry McLaurin but in three playoff games he has the best stats of all Daniels’ targets.
In the wildcard thriller over Tampa Bay, Brown had 5 receptions on 5 targets for 89 yards and 18 yards per catch and scored the Commanders’ first touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Daniels.
In the division round shocker over top seed Detroit, Brown had 6 receptions on a team-high 8 targets for 98 yards and 16 yards per catch on his way to the conference title game.
Brown is not huge for a wide receiver, six feet and 195 pounds. He doesn’t have blinding speed but knows how to get open especially when Daniels scrambles. Mack Brown had faith Dyami would get a shot at the NFL and he has made the most of it.
Brown grew up in Charlotte and played for West Mecklenburg High School. As a junior, he had 999 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns with five interceptions on defense. He caught 41 passes for 631 yards and 10 touchdowns and also rushed for five touchdowns in his senior year. A four-star recruit, Brown was considered the best wide receiver prospect of his class in the state when he committed to play for the Tar Heels.
Just like he does today, Brown played in the shadow of ACC Rookie of the Year Howell. He joined Dazz Newsome and Josh Downs, who is also an NFL star with the Indianapolis Colts, for one of the most dangerous and spectacular set of receivers in the ACC, making first team all-conference and third-team All-American as a junior. He completed two seasons when he was the first FBS player since 2000 to average at least 20 yards per catch in consecutive years.
Featured image via Associated Press/Jason Behnken
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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