If Dru Brown were to take a moment to paint his absolute dream scenario, it would be a portrait of him in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers huddle leading the team as the club’s QB1. That’s the clear and obvious goal for every quarterback in every league, after all, and the 26-year-old Palo Alto, Ca. product has those exact same aspirations.
Here’s the thing about Brown that’s so intriguing: if you were to ask him to paint a portrait of his second-best dream scenario, well, it would look exactly like the moment he is in right now.
“I love it here. I love the people here. I love my teammates. I love the room I’m in,” began Brown in a chat with bluebombers.com following Day 2 of training camp. “It’s probably been the most positive football experience I’ve had and I don’t even start. That’s saying something.”
Before we continue, some background is in order here…
Blue Bombers fans have known of Brown since his arrival in 2021 and a season in which he dressed for two regular season games. He took a significant step a year ago, appearing in every game and establishing himself as the No. 2 pivot behind two-time reigning Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player Zach Collaros.
He came off the bench in the final moments of the season-opening win over the Ottawa RedBlacks after Collaros had been removed by the injury spotter to drive the club into position for the winning field goal. He also earned his first CFL start, throwing for 325 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions in a loss to B.C. later in the year in which a number of regulars were rested after the club had clinched first place in the Western Division.
Along the way we also discovered Brown, like Collaros, is an admitted football junkie, he hates losing and has the maturity to recognize a good thing even if it means he’s working primarily in the shadows.
“A lot of times with guys if they’re not on the field they struggle to enjoy the environment they’re in,” Brown explained. “I went to junior college, I went to Hawaii and I went to Oklahoma State, so I was a part of a few programs. And this is, without a doubt, the most fun I’ve had working and playing ball, simply because of the people and the environment they create. And, obviously, Zach has played a big part in that. When you’re learning what you love to learn about it’s truly joyful. As we grow up, I feel like we lose that urge to play and have fun, but I have that with my job and I’m extremely grateful.
“You want to be playing and you want to be ‘the guy’ and all of these things, but I reflect on that and I would rather be in a good situation with a good mentor, someone who can show me the ropes, and be patient rather than get thrown in with zero coaching, zero mentorship and being essentially by myself.”
As much as football fans in these parts were introduced to Brown last year, it could be said he also learned a great deal about himself. Some of that comes from handling his own situation as admirably as he did, and much of the rest comes from simple osmosis – from being in a quarterback room with Collaros and Buck Pierce, the offensive coordinator.
“The past few years I’ve been able to prove to myself I belong at this level,” Brown said. “Now it’s just the minute details and picking up the things that Zach does on a daily basis and continue to sharpen that mental side.
“I’ve never really had a relationship like that. In the quarterback room it’s usually a little more hostile in college. But a guy like Zach, he’s opened his arms to me and shown me the right way to do things, the right way to carry yourself. It helps that we both love the game and we both learn from the same concepts, so we see the game very similarly. It didn’t take long to realize that. It’s been an ongoing growth between us. Our text thread is probably light years long and full of different ideas of what we can do to different teams in our league or something we just appreciate that we see online. It’s been a real joy to work with him and Buck and anyone that’s been in that room.”
“I’ve never really had someone who loved it like I do. It just so happens he loves it as much as I do and he has a fountain of knowledge that I want to pull from and he’s willing to pour. It’s been really cool. It’s so fun to show up to work and learn from him and learn from Buck. It’s truly the best situation without playing. It’s been just a perfect place for me.”
The start against the Lions last October had some memorable moments for Brown, including the three TD passes. His mistakes were magnified, as both interceptions were pick-sixes, but were also a reminder to keep pushing, keep grinding and keep learning.
“I’m happy with some things I did and not happy with some things I did – just like at practice today,” said Brown of his first start. “I wish my answer was more flashy, but you just watch the tape and you get better. You have to be detailed and hard on yourself. Even if the coach says something – or doesn’t say something – that doesn’t mean it can’t be better. You’re always looking for a way to sharpen your spear. That’s what I took from it. It wasn’t a life-or-death thing for me, it was just going out and playing ball. I hate any time I lose and that feeling after losing the game was tough.”
Brown’s self-discovery also taught him this: he’s got a game plan to follow, sure, but when a quarterback is out there facing real action in a real game, he’s also got to resist the urge to play the position like a cyborg.
“At this level and with this position you kind of have to be a little bit arrogant and a little bit cocky in terms of your belief in yourself,” Brown said. “I’ve learned that over the years – when you’re out here you can’t be the cookie-cutter/respectful kid that your parents raised. You’ve got to be – and I’m not going to cuss – but you’ve got to be one of those guys that’s got some fire to him. With that mindset and having the understanding of how to improve, that’s where you get someone that’s really good for a really long time.
“I’m not a finished product at all. I’ll never be. But what I’ve come to appreciate about being here is we were created for community and I love the community that’s here.”
