FAMILY MATTERS:Andre Brown, who scored the Giants’ game-winning TD in their 41-34 Week 2 win over the Buccaneers spent his formative years living under the care of his cousin, Wesley Studivant, (far right, with Brown and Tiffany McGee), who was just a few years older than the running back.
FAMILY MATTERS:Andre Brown, who scored the Giants’ game-winning TD in their 41-34 Week 2 win over the Buccaneers spent his formative years living under the care of his cousin, Wesley Studivant, (far right, with Brown and Tiffany McGee), who was just a few years older than the running back. (
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FAMILY MATTERS: Andre Brown, who scored the Giants’ game-winning TD in their 41-34 Week 2 win over the Buccaneers (above) spent his formative years living under the care of his cousin, Wesley Studivant (far right, with Brown and Tiffany McGee), who was just a few years older than the running back. (Courtesy of Wesley Studivant (inset))
More than 500 miles south of MetLife Stadium, at a Buffalo Wild Wings in North Carolina, a grown man sat with his family on Sunday watching the Giants play the Buccaneers on a big screen television and weeping.
Wesley Studivant was watching a reserve running back for the Giants named Andre Brown make his first significant NFL carries — after more than three years of living a vagabond existence in the league — and it moved him to tears because that running back was his cousin, kid brother and son all wrapped up in a 6-foot, 227-pound frame.
Eleven years ago, Studivant, as a 21-year-old college junior at East Carolina, became Brown’s guardian when Brown was 14. Brown’s single mother thought her son would have a better life away from the mean streets of Baltimore, where she lived.
Brown’s 71 rushing yards on 13 carries Sunday in relief of injured starter Ahmad Bradshaw in the Giants’ 41-34 comeback win over the Buccaneers represented years of hard work from Brown himself and nurturing from Studivant.
“I was losing my mind and tears did come out of my eyes because I know what he’s been through,’’ Studivant told The Post last night, recounting watching his cousin on TV Sunday. “I was sitting there with my kids and I thought about the example he was setting for them. It was gratifying.’’
Imagine the outpouring of emotion if Bradshaw, who is a question mark for Thursday night’s game against the Panthers with his injured neck, cannot play. Brown, who went to North Carolina State, would get his first NFL start in Charlotte in front of his family and friends.
“Oh, my God,’’ Studivant said.
Sunday was the high point of Brown’s football career, which has been defined by disappointment, including by being waived seven times by five different teams.
After being drafted by the Giants in 2009, Brown ruptured his left Achilles tendon and missed the entire season. When he came back from a year of rehab noticeably slower, the Giants waived him in the final cutdown in 2010.
From there, Brown was signed and released twice by the Broncos and Colts, then once each by the Panthers and Redskins. Before Sunday, his only two NFL carries came for the Broncos against the Ravens on Oct. 10, 2010. They went for a combined minus-1 yard.
Brown, the father of a young son named Sebastian, said he could not live with that career NFL stat line.
“I can’t have my kids see that [and say], ‘Daddy, you only had two carries,’ ’’ he said. “No, we can’t go out like that.”
So he didn’t.
Brown was re-signed by the Giants last summer and spent the entire 2011 season on the practice squad. This summer, he beat out D.J. Ware for a spot on the roster, which leads to Sunday, Bradshaw’s first-half neck injury and Brown’s surprise chance.
“I’m not going to lie to you, there were times when I was like, ‘Dang, is this for me? How is this going to play out?’ ’’ Brown said. “I just remained faithful and my family [was] a big crutch for me just saying, ‘You were meant to do this.’ ’’
No one understands the powerful significance of the place where Brown found himself Sunday after his pot-holed journey better than Studivant, who was taking Brown to high school parent-teacher conferences when his college teammates were at frat parties and chasing girls after football practice.
“Andre taught me a lot and I taught him a lot; we both grew up at the same time,’’ Studivant said. “He would get discouraged, but he never felt like it was not going to work. It broke his heart to leave New York. He cried.
“But honestly, we always knew it wasn’t finished in New York. He always said, ‘Man, it would be great if I could get back to the Giants,’ because he wanted to finish what he started there. When he was young, we always talked about getting late gratification.’’
Gratification finally arrived for Brown on Sunday at MetLife. Thursday’s North Carolina homecoming has the potential to provide even more memorable moments. So late has turned out to be better than never for Brown.
“I just needed a shot and took advantage of my shot [Sunday],’’ Brown said. “I don’t think it’s closure, though. I think it’s just the beginning.’’