North Charlotte Today

So much has changed about Derrick Brown this offseason, at least from the outside. From his perspective, nothing has really changed at all. Maybe that's the reason people are starting to see it.

The Panthers' defensive tackle is finally beginning to get the recognition he's deserved as one of the top defensive players in the game. Setting a league record for his position will do that. It might be coming more slowly from the outside—as he pushed through the anonymity of a 2-15 team to make his first Pro Bowl—but that recognition is coming.

It's been mostly internal this offseason, from the long-term contract extension the team gave him in April, to being named team captain for the first time in a vote of his teammates this week. But people are beginning to realize Derrick Brown has moved to another level.

For Brown, nothing has really changed at all.

"Man, to be honest, I don't think I'm that guy," Brown said. "It's one of those things where I'm trying to get ready for the season, just putting my head down and going to work. I feel like I've got a lot left and I'd like to get longevity out of this game and do wonders and win games here. So, yeah, I'm just as focused as I was my first year to now."

It sounds so simple when he says it that way, but it has become very obvious from his first year to now that Derrick Brown is different.

Panthers center Austin Corbett laughed and said Brown's ascension began with his DNA—since not many people have his size and strength or can move the way he does. But the difference shows up in the weight room during the cold months of the offseason. They lift together often, and Corbett marvels as a teammate at Brown's physical gifts and shakes his head at having to face him as an opponent.

"You add the IQ, athleticism, strength, just to his overall size; it's unbelievable strength," Corbett said. "We lift together pretty often and it's just like I've got to kind of hide. Like I'm working hard here and he's just kind of going through his reps; I don't even know if he knows what his true maxes are."

But breaks are few for Brown if you want to reach the level he wants to be at. People his size aren't supposed to play nearly 90 percent of total snaps in a season. During OTAs, players go through sprints at practice's start while warming up; every day Brown was at the front of the line—a presence noticed by all.

"It's the work ethic of guys like Derrick Brown," rookie head coach Dave Canales said. "Our best players happen to be our hardest workers."

Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton noted how glad he is that people are starting to recognize Brown’s efforts.

"I'm really happy for him; he works so hard day in and day out," Moton said.

Even newcomers recognized what Brown is about quickly upon arrival.

"I think they both come to work every day," veteran nickel Troy Hill said when comparing Aaron Donald and Derrick Brown.

Safety Nick Scott added: "The biggest thing about those two guys is their ability to wreck a game."

Defensive end A'Shawn Robinson echoed these sentiments: "Of wanting things done right...holding himself to a higher standard."

Of course, differences remain between Donald—a three-time defensive player of the year—and Brown who only recently began receiving external recognition after setting a new league record for tackles by a defensive lineman with 103 last season on a 2-15 team.

"He didn't make it?" cornerback Jaycee Horn said incredulously regarding NFL Network's Top 100 list omission of Brown.

Veteran outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney put it more succinctly: "That's some bulls---."

Clowney praised how hard-working and unappreciated he found Brown since joining him this offseason: "I told him since I've been here...you hustle...it's effortless."

Long snapper JJ Jansen noted subtle leadership growth in Derrick over four years: "He's not loud...steady...does it."

For all things Derrick excels at—talking about himself isn't high on that list—but even he's starting recognizing subtle shifts towards greater responsibility within this team which reflects who he truly is fundamentally rooted within dedication towards self-improvement alongside collective success aspirations shared amongst teammates alike...

"This is kind of who I am," concluded Derrick reflecting upon newfound captaincy honor bestowed upon recognizing continued excellence demonstrated throughout yet another grueling off-season regimen.