Hometown Hero

Brown could impact the Bolts
greatly in 2011.

The San Diego Chargers had five picks in the first three rounds of this year's NFL draft and have taken a chance on a wide receiver out of San Diego State University with one of them.

Vincent Brown was selected with 82nd overall pick in the third-round Friday night. The news comes as excitement to Brown being a California native himself.

Brown attended Rancho Cucamonga High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California from 2003-07.

He was an immediate success on the gridiron for the Cougars playing varsity football three of his four years. During those three seasons Brown accumulated 88 receptions, 1327 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

His junior season saw him catch a career-high five touchdowns in one season.

Even though Brown did not find the end zone as much his senior season, it was his best season statistically catching 36 passes for 557 yards in seven games, averaging 15.47 yards per catch.

Brown also showed he could rush the ball during his tenure at Rancho Cucamonga carrying the rock 11 times for 50 yards and a score.

Brown was heavily recruited by the Aztecs during his senior season and eventually decided to officially become a member of the Mountain West Conference.

The 22-year-old has an extremely productive career in San Diego, gathering 209 receptions for 3,110 yards and 23 touchdowns. Unlike most college athletes in the NCAA today, Brown chose to stay at school and receive his degree before declaring for the NFL Draft. Brown made his senior season worth while by posting career-highs in almost every major offensive category, including receptions (69), yards (1,352), touchdowns (10), average yards per catch (19.6) and longest reception (90 yards).

The knock on Brown heading into the draft was his size and lack of explosive ability.

Brown is an undersized wide receiver compared to his soon-to-be piers in the NFL. Brown stands at  5-foot-11 and 184 pounds which could pose a problem for him being able to come over the top of NFL secondaries, but Brown's ability to make space between himself and the defender is what sets him apart from most.

He is an excellent and efficient route runner, something Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers looks for.

Brown possesses the same typer of skills as New England Patriot wide receiver Wes Welker. Like Brown, Welker is significantly undersized for the NFL at 5-foot-9, but has found enormous success at the next level.

Welker has more receptions than any other receiver in the NFL the last four seasons with 432. Welker's 123 receptions in 2009 is a Patriot franchise record and might have been more if not for tearing his ACL the final game of the regular season.

Brown will be most successful underneath in the NFL, something Welker has made famous in recent years.

The Chargers saw many injuries to their team in 2010, none more than at the wide receiver position, with that also came the the hold out of star receiver, Vincent Jackson. Brown will add depth to Norv Turner's offense next season and provide a vital option for Rivers throughout the year.

Whatever the future may hold for Brown, you can be sure he will continue to work hard and excel at the next level like he has everywhere else. I am sure I speak for a lot of when I say, we are proud of you, Go get 'em V.J.