ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996 TAG: 9601100079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
Barring a last-second, overnight change of heart, junior All-America defensive end Cornell Brown will return to Virginia Tech for his senior season.
A source close to the Tech football program said Tuesday that Brown has decided not to declare himself eligible for the 1996 NFL Draft.
Today is the deadline for college underclassmen wishing to file for the upcoming draft.
Brown could not be reached for comment on his decision Tuesday. He resurfaced in Blacksburg on Tuesday after spending time in Buffalo, N.Y., where he conferred with his older brother, Reuben.
Reuben Brown was the Buffalo Bills' No.1 draft pick in last year's NFL Draft. Brown, who played collegiately at Pittsburgh, also turned down overtures to enter the NFL draft early after his junior season at Pitt.
Despite ranking third in NCAA Division I-A this past season in both quarterback sacks (14) and tackles for loss (25), Cornell Brown's pro stock was questioned by numerous NFL scouts because of his college position. Most scouts have indicated the 6-foot-2, 246-pound Lynchburg native is more suited to play outside linebacker instead of end in the NFL.
The fact that Brown hasn't been involved in pass-coverage responsibility while at Tech would make him a "risky'' pick, several NFL scouts have noted.
Brown was the anchor on a defense that excelled for 10th-ranked Tech (10-2), which capped its season on Dec.31 with a 28-10 win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
Brown, the 1995 Big East Conference defensive player of the year, was a consensus All-American, being a first-team selection on three of the five major squads.
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: File/1995. Virginia Tech's Cornell Brown was named toby CNBthree of the five major All-America squads in 1995. color.