The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Five former Longhorns to play in NFL Europe
04.08.2002 | Football
AUSTIN, Texas -- Five former University of Texas football players - OG Ben Adams, QB James Brown, DB Greg Brown, WR Kwame Cavil and DE Aaron Humphrey - will play in NFL Europe this season. Adams, Greg Brown and Humphrey will play for the Rhein Fire, while James Brown and Cavil (practice squad) will suit up for the Scottish Claymores. The 2002 season is scheduled to get underway this Saturday.
The former letterwinners will make a total of seven appearances on FOX and FOX Sports Net this year. The Saturday, April 20, contest between Rhein and Scotland will be a homecoming of sorts for the Texas-Exes, as all five players will be on the same field.
Adams (1995-98) returns for his second season in NFL Europe after being selected as a protected veteran by Rhein on February 12. The former All-American last played in NFL Europe in 2000 when he helped the Fire win the World Bowl VIII Championship. A three-year starter and four-year letterwinner for the Longhorns, Adams started the final 36 games of his UT career and was a member of back-to-back conference championship teams in 1995-96 (SWC/Big 12). He signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans following the 1999 NFL Draft but was waived just before the 1999 regular season. However, the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder signed with the Miami Dolphins later that year and spent the final 12 games (10 regular season/two playoffs) of the season and the entire 2000 campaign on Miami's practice squad.
Greg Brown (1997-2000) was a two-year starter and three-year letterwinner for the Longhorns. The Baton Rouge, La., native, who started the final 25 games of his career, registered 168 tackles, eight TFLs and six interceptions and 10 pass breakups during his time at Texas. He led the team with four picks as a senior. Brown signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos following the 2001 NFL Draft and was allocated to NFL Europe this season.
James Brown (1994-97) was the Longhorns' starting quarterback for the better part of four seasons and went on to turn in a record-setting career. Brown finished his career with 30 UT records, including career passing yards (7,638), total offense (8,049) and TD passes (53). The Beaumont native became the first Longhorns QB to earn first-team All-SWC honors in 20 years after leading Texas to the final Southwest Conference (SWC) Championship, a 10-2-1 record and a berth in the Sugar Bowl in 1995. He also was tabbed SWC Offensive Player of the Year that season. In 1996, Brown guided UT through a late-season surge that was capped off by a stunning upset of defending National Champion and third-ranked Nebraska in the inaugural Big 12 Championship game. He has spent the past two seasons with the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League and signed a free agent deal with Scotland on March 5, 2002.
Cavil (1997-99) was a two-year starter and three-year letterwinner for UT. As a junior in 1999, he caught 100 passes for 1,188 yards (both Big 12 and UT single-season records) and six touchdowns en route to second-team All-America and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist honors. The Waco native started the final 27 games of his career and posted at least one reception in the final 21 contests overall. Cavil signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills following the 2000 NFL Draft and saw action in all 16 games as a rookie (four catches for 66 yards). He sat out the 2001 campaign after being waived by the Bills just before the start of the year. He signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns on Feb. 5, 2002, and was allocated to NFL Europe the following day.
Humphrey (1996-99), a four-year starter for the Longhorns, finished his UT career with 330 tackles, 50.5 TFLs (T-No. 4 on UT's all-time list), 24.5 sacks (No. 8 on UT's career chart) and 73 QB pressures. The two-time All-Big 12 selection was a member of the Horns' 1996 Big 12 Championship team and twice led in the conference in sacks (10/1998-99). The Lubbock native signed a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2000 NFL Draft but was waived during training camp. Humphrey then signed a free agent pact with the New York Jets on April 30, 2001, after playing for the XFL's Chicago Enforcers but was released before the start of the 2001 campaign. He was selected by Rhein in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Europe Free Agent Draft on Feb. 12, 2002.
