This past offseason, free agent safety Stevie Brown visited the Giants, meeting with team executives, coaches and players. They all made an impression on him of authenticity, camaraderie and singular focus.
“Everybody seemed genuine and everybody had each other’s back and everybody had one goal, and that was to win,” Brown recalled yesterday. “That’s why I wanted to come here.”
Brown likely will start his fourth straight game at strong safety for the Giants tomorrow, and he will be looking to stay perfect — the Giants are 3-0 in Brown’s three starts. The under-the-radar acquisition, designed to provide safety depth behind starters Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips, has been superb since replacing the injured Phillips in Week 5. The Giants have beaten the Browns, 49ers and Redskins, and Brown has helped deliver three turnovers during the stretch.
Against Cleveland, he intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. Then against Washington, he picked off another pass. Each of his interception returns have been for at least 40 yards.
“He has really come through for us in a big way,” coach Tom Coughlin said after last Sunday’s 27-23 victory over the Redskins. “Stevie finds the ball or the ball finds him, one way or the other.”
In just two NFL seasons before this year, the 25-year-old Brown was waived four times and played for three different organizations, calling to mind fellow give-me-a-shot teammates Chase Blackburn and Andre Brown.
And before three weeks ago, the safety had started just once in his career.
“I always knew I could play,” Brown said. “I just knew once I got on the field, I was not going to try to come off.”
In 2010, the Raiders drafted Brown in the seventh round out of Michigan, and he would spend the season shuffling back-and-forth from the practice squad to the active roster.
Last season, the Raiders waived Brown on Sept. 3, and the Panthers picked him up the next day — but waived him three days later. The Colts signed him two weeks after that.
“Whenever I got waived out in Oakland, I really don’t know what that was. Even whenever I was leaving, talking to the coaches, they all still wished I was there,” Brown said. “The thing in Carolina, they just said they needed a corner, so I was there for a day. I don’t really even put that on my abilities at all.”
Brown, who also works on kickoff coverage, has played in every game this season, racking up 19 tackles and three interceptions.
“From the day he was here, he showed speed and power. Worked hard, had a good attitude. Started on special teams, helped us on special teams,” Coughlin said. “He’s just gotten better.”
Tomorrow Brown will have to help thwart Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, a difficult assignment. Romo fired three touchdowns and threw for 307 yards against the Giants in Week 1.
“I’d say I’ve done my job. I haven’t caused the team any harm or put us in any positions to lose,” Brown said. “As long as I don’t do that, then I feel like I’m doing my job.”