By james art Gilbert Brown fell in love with football as a middle schooler, but he never harbored dreams of being the star quarterback or any of the other glamorous positions on the field.
Brown’s chosen position as a youngster was punter, probably the least glamorous of all positions. But when he decided that punting was what he wanted to do, he put in a lot of work to become one of the best.
In the latest FCS national punting rankings, the Charleston Southern junior is No. 5 nationally with a 47.43-yard average. He was No. 1 in the country until two weeks ago and sits less than a yard out of first place. Noted college football guru Phil Steele recently named Brown a midseason first-team All-American.
Fewer than a handful of Brown’s 35 punts this season have traveled less than 40 yards, and those have been on short fields. He has a season-high 72 yards against Tennessee State and has recorded 13 punts of over 50 yards. As a junior, Brown has one more season of college football ahead of him and will likely attract the attention of the NFL.
Charleston Southern’s Gilbert Brown punts against Southeast Missouri State on Oct. 19, 2024.
CSU coach Gabe Giardina recruited Brown to Albany State when he was the head coach.
“He obviously could hit, it was easy to see on film, but what I realized when we hired him was how great of a guy he was,” the coach said. “He is a great young man of faith and has great leadership qualities.”
Giardina moved into his current role after the 2022 season. A year later, Brown entered the transfer window, and his former head coach wasted no time. He said Brown is a perfect fit for his program and the university. Brown agreed.
“I’m where I need to be,” Brown said. “CSU has the whole package for me. My relationship with Christ is number 1 for me, before football or anything else. This school is perfect for me, not just for soccer, but with the overall student experience. There are many more things I can get involved in here, and I can be a good example for others.”
After getting serious about punting, Brown began receiving professional instruction, working with the nationally renowned One on One Kicking Academy. His high school batting average increased every year and that improvement continued throughout his college career.
Brown averaged 42.7 yards last season with his career long 77 yards against Wingate. While personal instruction and his work ethic have pushed him further each year, Brown says his only real inspiration comes from another source.
“My mother is my inspiration,” he said. “In school, in my faith, in soccer, she is the one who inspires me every day to be the best I can be.”
Charleston South infielder Jr. Gilbert Brown
Punters may not be considered athletes in some cases, but Brown is an exception. The 6-0, 180-pounder has an athletic build and obvious strength.
“He could have focused on being a receiver or something and he would have been great at that,” Giardina said. “The kid is an athlete.”
Besides the many great kicks, one of the highlights of Brown’s season came as an extra point kicker and a field goal. In CSU’s upset win over Furman in Week 2, Brown grabbed an extra point and flew into the end zone for a successful two-point conversion.
“It was really fun. I would love to do it again,” he said.
Hint, hint coach Giardina.
