Detroit Lions 2017 NFL Draft Watchlist: Washington at Oregon

The Comeback Story

Tight end Pharaoh Brown (#85, 6’5″, 250) suffered one of the most gruesome college football injuries. In a routine goal-line blocking assignment, Brown stepped on a teammates foot and hyper-extended his leg, tearing ligaments in his knee. In addition to his knee, he also injured an artery, which cut off circulation to his lower right leg and he almost had to have it amputated.

Fortunately, after three surgeries, doctors were able to correct the situation and save his leg, but it was unclear how he would recover. For a year and a half, Brown rehabbed his leg and in the spring of 2016 he returned to practice at Oregon.

"From where he came from in that injury, from his initial process of going from life-threatening to walking to playing football to, ‘Can he actually get back to as good as he was?’” offensive coordinator Matt Lubick said. “To see all those things come to fruition, it’s a miracle."

Brown is still working his way back into football, and has suffered some minor injuries (ankle) over the first five weeks. He has accounted for nine receptions for 103 yards, and flashed some of his skills that made him such an intriguing prospect.

A terrific athlete, Brown can be a match-up problem for defenses. Quick and aggressive, Brown has shown that he still deserves a shot in the NFL. If he can stay healthy this season, he seems like a lock for the combine, where teams will want to get a closer look at his leg. If things check out, he will make a team very happy on day three.