There were days when Drew Brown enjoyed watching his quarterback complete a touchdown pass, being an integral part of the offense and feeling the glory of holding his block as a running back surged into the end zone.
As it turns out, blindsiding a quarterback and making tackles behind the line of scrimmage feel pretty good, too.
When Poplar Bluff football coach Mark Barousse and line coach David Sievers needed a two-way player in the trenches last season, Brown, who had never started a varsity game on the defensive side, was their first choice.
Last week, Brown saw the switch in position pave a path for his future when he signed with Lindenwold University-Belleville as a defensive end.
"I only have one year under my belt for that but it was the best change for my career," Brown said. "I had really only ever known holding my blocks and protecting the QB and now I'm trying to disrupt both."
Brown started in his first varsity game as a junior at left tackle with a strictly offensive mindset. But when he returned for his senior season, the Mules' coaching staff saw a more improved player.
"He turned into a big strong kid and he's always had great feet, which is a plus as a lineman," Sievers said. "When the other coaches and myself saw that, it was kind of a no-brainer that we try him out on both sides."
Brown flourished in his new role last season, better able to use his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame more effectively as a defensive lineman, despite often facing double-teams. He had 42 tackles last season, including nine for a loss, while Poplar Bluff's offense set a record for points in a season.
"He had always been an offensive-minded kid and with his athleticism and work ethic he turned into a two-way player," Sievers said. "I knew he could do it but I just never knew exactly when he would become the kid I though that he could be."
Brown had other offers from a few schools, including Westminster, but his decision to play for the Lynx came down to one thing in particular.
"Really with this school it came down to a godly thing," Brown said. "I was planning to go to TRCC but this school just kind of hit me up out of the blue and it was just a really big coincidence in timing."
Brown took a visit to Lindenwood three weeks ago and met with current players and first-year head coach Kevin Turco, who not only impressed Brown with what he's doing on the field but off it.
"He just came here in January and he's already raised the team's GPA from a 2.3 to a 2.6 in a semester," Brown said.
That's more important to Brown than anything because of his plans for life after football. The recent graduate finished high school with a 3.5 GPA and plans to go into the medical field.
"I'm wanting to go to school and be a dentist, which means I need to make really good grades," Brown said. "He's a military man and he's going to keep me in check."
The Mules went 16-5 in Brown's two years as a starter for the varsity squad. About 30 of his teammates during that stretch came out to support their friend, a gesture Brown won't forget.
"It's not even just playing football, it's about getting around the team and forming relationships with these people," Brown said. "I always looked forward to coming out to practice every day, getting better with these guys, and they made these last four years fun."