AUBURN, Ala. – Derrick Brown, a three-year starter at defensive tackle, has made an impact on the field during his time at Auburn, registering 115 career tackles, 21 tackles for loss and nine quarterback sacks in 40 games during the past three seasons. But that's only the beginning. His impact extends beyond the field.
"You need to set your mind full-tilt on working and focus on school, football, family and God, Brown said. "Those are four main things you need to focus on during this time of your life. As a senior, I look back on a lot of things I did outside of those priorities and think about how much further along I could have been if I had just focused on those four things.
"I truly believe in the Auburn creed. It speaks volumes to me. Since I got here, it's all been hard work. Whether it is on the football field or academically, it's all been hard work. I've had to put in the grind for four years to be able to succeed. Entering the home stretch, it's just bittersweet now."
The home stretch is here. Brown, who had the chance to turn pro after last season, returned for one final season on The Plains. Individually, he came back wanting to develop his game more to make that transition to the NFL easier.
The main focus, however, revolves around the team and taking that next step.
"I just want to do everything I can to help my teammates and this team to be successful," Brown said. "Since I've been here, we've been to the SEC Championship and got really close. I think it's about time that we get back there again. Going forward, I believe that is everybody's mindset, so it isn't hard for us to get on board with this thing.
"Everybody is tired of just being average. Everybody is tired of being an average Auburn team playing in average bowl games. We want to chase what we believe we deserve. That's what this season is about – to push beyond."
Brown, who will represent Auburn at SEC Media Days on Thursday, enters the upcoming season with tremendous national attention. Coming off a year in which he earned All-SEC recognition, he was a unanimous First-Team Preseason All-SEC selection. He's nearly a consensus preseason All-American, and he's on the watch lists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and Bednarik Award.
Once Brown's celebrated career at Auburn concludes, he wants to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL. But when his football playing days are over, the Jason Witten Man of the Year finalist from last year hopes eventually to get into politics.
"I plan to pursue a career in the NFL, and I want to be able to do that as long as I can," Brown said. "After that, I want to be a lobbyist. I want to get into the political world, and hopefully I'll be able to be groomed for that during the off-seasons to prepare myself for life after football."
Brown has already gained some experience, taking part in the SEC student-athlete leadership council the past couple years. He's also serving as the president of SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) at Auburn this year.
Heading into the 2019 season, Brown has a message to the Auburn Family.
"I just want to thank the Auburn Family for supporting us and supporting this program. We hope to make the 2019 season a special year for them."
It's already been a special year for Brown if you go back to December when his son, Kai, was born just before the Music City Bowl. He will also be joined by his younger brother, Kameron, who signed with Auburn in February and will play linebacker for the Tigers this season.
"I'm excited to have (Kameron) here as a teammate," Derrick said. "He has an unbelievable love for the game."
Student-athlete. Leader. Teammate. Son. Brother. New dad. No matter what role he's in, Derrick Brown has thrived. He truly believes in Auburn and loves it.