Miami QB Jacurri Brown: Don’t call me a running quarterback … “I’m not out to prove everybody wrong, I’m out to prove myself right”

Jacurri Brown is tired of hearing the phrase “running quarterback” used to describe him. He wants to eliminate that first word. But he also knows he has to earn that after struggling in his first year as a Miami Hurricanes quarterback, called into action as a true freshman after starter Tyler Van Dyke was injured and a more veteran backup, Jake Garcia, struggled.

Brown had success running with the ball; not so much as a passer, with accuracy issues.

“As a quarterback, people say `running quarterback’ – I feel haters have their job and if you don’t have haters you’re not doing everything right,” Brown told CaneSport on Monday. “I don’t want to be labeled a running quarterback, I want to be an actual quarterback.

“But at the same time I’m not out to prove everybody wrong, I’m out to prove myself right. Obviously last yewar I might have gotten a little down on myself, but now I’m growing up, maturing and it’s way better for me. I’m just playing football. The outside noise doesn’t really matter.”

Last year Brown wound up throwing for 230 yards in eight games of action with three TDs and three INTs. His forte was keeping the ball on the ground, and he had 223 rush yards including a long of 40 yards. His best game? That was vs. Georgia Tech when he hit on 14 of 19 passes for 136 yards with three scores. But all his other performances saw struggles (5-9, 37 yards, INT vs. FSU; 6-13, 53 yards, INT vs. Clemson and 2-3, 4 yards, INT against Pitt).

Many of his passes were off the mark, and he didn’t complete any throws that went 20 or more yards in the air.

Which brings us to the spring, when he was much better with his accuracy, notwithstanding some hiccups in the spring game. The progress has continued into this offseason.

“I’ve been focusing on the X’s and O’s of the game, reading defenses, getting with Tyler and watching film, really eliminating the pat (of the football) before I throw, my throwing motion and things like that,” Brown said.

Along with patting the football, a habit that dates back to middle school and slows his delivery of the ball, Brown also says he’s worked on shortening his “windup” before throwing. Getting the ball out fast and accurately is the goal.

“I never really had a quarterback coach (growing up),” Brown said. “That pat adds an extra second for the ball to come out. I’m looking to get it out faster.”

With fall drills set to begin tomorrow morning (and full coverage will be on CaneSport), Brown’s also gotten bigger and stronger. He has bulked up to 225 pounds – last season he played at 210 pounds (he arrived at Miami as a 195-pounder).

Brown says he isn’t viewing the upcoming Miami fall practice as solidifying the No. 2 job ahead of true freshman Emory Williams; he sees it as his chance to push Van Dyke.

“I don’t shy away from competition,” Brown said. “Going into camp I’m not going to go in and plan to be the backup. Emory wants to push me, and I want to push Tyler.”

There’s a chance that even with Van Dyke the returning starter that the multidimensional Brown can get his own specialized package of plays, perhaps in goal line situations. But he also says if he winds up redshirting, so be it. He wants to do what is best for the future of the team.

“Anything I can do to help the team I’ll do,” Brown said. “Last year I was leaning toward redshirting, that fell through.

“I’d love to see Tyler be healthy this year and go through his year and be great and then I can just move in right behind him and that would be smooth to get that year back.”

Brown is excited about how he fits into the new Shannon Dawson offense. It’s an attack that saw Houston QB Clayton Tune throw for 40 TDs and 4,074 yards while adding a team-high 546 rush yards and five more scores on the ground last season.

Brown says he watches film of Tune and sees some similarities.

“I can do a lot of things that he does, but also bring a way different part of the game to it,” Brown said, adding that “With Coach Dawson, the offense is way more comfortable. It’s quarterback-friendly and I’m playing free, not a lot going on in your head. It’s more clear, helps me do better.”

Overall Brown graded out fine last year at 72.4 percent per Pro Football Focus, but that was skewed to his running grade of 79.9. As a passer he was a subpar 49.5 percent (with 70 considered a good grade). He was 0-5 on passes over 20 yards and grading out at 27.8 percent in those situations. So there was a lot left to be desired there.

Brown hopes that at the end of the day he can have a personal resurgence that will match a Miami resurgence.

“Everything is changing, the culture is changing and everything is getting really, really better,” Brown said. “Last year I felt like I was still playing in high school again. Coach Dawson, the way things have changed now, it’s a better workplace.”

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