UCA's Brown Thriving Under Pressure of Final Season

If there's anyone who feels the pressure for the University of Central Arkansas Bears, it's much heralded quarterback Nathan Brown.

Brown, last year's Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has certainly been in the spotlight a lot. That's something he's grown used to. In fact, it's what he is most comfortable with.

"I enjoy having pressure put on me," Brown said. "If you told me, ‘We're going to give you the ball with two minutes left and you have to drive 70 yards,' that's what I thrive on."

Brown thrived last season as the Bears finished 6-5, including 5-2 in the Southland Conference. He completed 256 of 377 pass attempts (67.9 percent) for 3,084 yards and 26 touchdowns.

During his career at UCA, Brown has won 20 of his 28 starts. He holds virtually all the passing records in the school's history and has a chance of being one of the most prolific passers in the history of college football in Arkansas.

Consistently putting up numbers is one characteristic of greatness. That's something Brown has shown capability to do.

"College athletics is about coming back and doing it again and doing it better," UCA head coach Clint Conque said. "He wants to make better decisions, reads and being the best quarterback he can. He's bigger and stronger than he's ever been."

Dealing with pressure has caused Brown to have a desire to continue to improve. That's something he hopes continues in 2008.