Although Alonso may not have had a season to remember over the course of 2011, Ravens offensive lineman Gary Brown made it his most memorable year yet.

The sophomore helped Alonso to a 6-4 record, was a Western Conference second-team all star and received recognition from both major newspapers on their all-county football teams as an honorable mention.

Not to mention, it was his first year of football.

Brown, who hadn’t played since his pee wee days, says he got back into the game as a way of relieving some stress.

“Hitting someone is a luxury,” Brown said. “It brings a lot of relief, because you can’t do it to someone in school, you have to do it on the field.”

Brown participated in the BCP Ignite Elite Showcase in February, and says while he feels good about where he placed, there’s always room for improvement.

“It was my first time at a combine,” Brown said. “I think I did pretty well, but I need to work on my speed and timing. My (40-yard dash) was a 5.3 and I need to work on the bench press too.”

While making an impact on the field this season, Brown also did well in the classroom, keeping a high grade point average of 3.6. However, it wasn’t always easy.

“I’d be getting done at practice and then I’d have to go home and do a lot of homework. It was tiring, but it was OK,” Brown said.

Although his performance on the offensive front earned him numerous accolades, Brown wouldn’t mind a switch to the other side.

“I hope I can play on the defensive side next year,” Brown said. “I want to try it out and play on the D-line (as well as) offense too.”

He adds that he is looking at multiple Division I programs and has received some information from USF.

Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter, @JeffO_LutzNews