Brian Brohm

The Brohm family has a long, storied history at Louisville, dating to the 1968 and '69 seasons, when Oscar Brohm lettered for the Cardinals. Years later, his son, Greg (1989-92) put on a Louisville uniform and start for three seasons at wide receiver, catching 45 passes for 722 yards and three scores for former head coach Howard Schnellenberger. Greg Brohm returned to the university in 2006, taking over as the team's Director of Football Operations. His brother Jeff (1990, 92-93), who would go on to start at quarterback for the Cardinals in his three seasons as a letterman, ranks among U of L's all-time leaders for passing yards (seventh, 5,451), touchdown passes (fifth, 38), completions (eighth, 402), total offense (sixth, 6,430) and completion percentage (sixth, .562). Voted the Cards' MVP in 1992 and '93, Jeff Brohm will always be remembered for a gritty performance in leading U of L to an 18-7 victory over Michigan State in the 1993 Liberty Bowl, when he played with pins in his hand. He enjoyed a seven-year career in the NFL, starting in 1994 with the San Diego Chargers. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1995-1997 and was the backup quarterback to Steve Young in 1997. From 1998-2000, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. In 2001, he played in the XFL for the Orlando Rage and was named first-team All-XFL as he owned the league's highest QB rating at 99.9. Jeff Brohm served as an assistant coach the last four seasons at UL. In addition to coaching quarterbacks, he was elevated to assistant head coach and passing game coordinator in 2007. In his four years with the Cardinals, he tutored two-time first-team All-Conference USA and Co-Offensive Player of the Year Stefan LeFors and the Big East Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Brian Brohm, the youngest brother of the fourth-year coach. Brian Brohm started 33 games at Louisville. He closed out his career as the Big East Conference's all-time leader in passing yardage, becoming the first player in league history to throw for over 10,000 yards (10,775) He finished second on the UL career list with 780 pass completions and 1,185 pass attempts, as his completion percentage (.658) is the fifth-best mark among NCAA quarterbacks active last season. He compiled a 24-9 record as a starter for the Cardinals. Brian Brohm was a standout quarterback at Trinity High School, where he was named USA Today Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. He threw for 10,579 yards and 119 touchdowns (both rank second in state prep history) during his 44-game career and was the recipient of the National Quarterback Club's award for the National High School Quarterback of the Year in 2003. Brohm was voted one of the 2003 National Top 150 Adidas Playmakers and named the Gatorade Player of the Year, in addition to earning Kentucky Mr. Football accolades. He was also selected to the Parade Magazine High School All-American teams and ranked as the best quarterback and second-ranked overall prospect in the country by ESPN's Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report. Brohm led the Shamrocks to three state titles, was awarded the Roy Kidd Award and was a three-time state finalist for Most Valuable Player honors. He guided the team to a 15-0 record in the state playoffs and started for the East squad in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He set a state record for career completion percentage. As a senior, Brohm threw for 3,720 yards and 33 touchdowns, completing 298-of-463 passes. He passed for 3,777 yards and 47 touchdowns on 226-of-335 passes with just one interception as a junior. In the 2002 state championship game, he completed 19-of-25 passes for 552 yards and seven touchdowns. As a sophomore, Brohm completed 174-of-273 passes for 3,082 yards and 39 scores with only five interceptions. He was also a starter on the Trinity High basketball team that went to the State Tournament for the first time ever and was named player of the game in their first-round win. He was also the hoop squad's MVP, helping the team advance to the semifinals of the state tournament. Much like big brother Jeff, he excelled in baseball and was drafted by Colorado Rockies in the 2002 amateur baseball draft. Heavily recruited, Brian Brohm decided to continue the family tradition of wearing a Louisville uniform, enrolling at the school in 2004. He was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and earned the Commissioner's Medal for having over a 3.75 grade point average. He was selected the team's Offensive Newcomer of the Year and was a member of the Conference USA All-Freshmen Team. Playing behind Stefan LeFors, Brohm completed 66-of-99 passes (67.3%) for 819 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions in 11 games. He owned a 153.51 passing efficiency rating and added 81 yards with a pair of scores on 27 carries (3.0-yard average), as one of only eight true freshmen quarterbacks in the country to see significant time that season. Despite missing the team's final two games (vs. Connecticut and Virginia Tech) with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Brohm earned second-team All-Big East Conference accolades in 2005. Under Brohm's guidance, the passing offense ranked ninth in the nation (482.08 yards per game) and he stood second in passing efficiency (166.73). The quarterback threw for 2,883 yards, 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions on 207-of-301 attempts (68.8%, the second-best season total in school history), adding three more scores on 41 rushing attempts. Injuries again kept Brohm from playing a full schedule in 2006, as he was sidelined vs. Kansas State and Middle Tennessee State after suffering a torn ligament in his right thumb, an injury that required surgery. He still managed to rank ninth nationally in passing efficiency (159.08) and total offense (281.27 yards per game), as he connected on 199-of-313 throws (63.6%) for 3,049 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also amassed 45 yards on 47 carries. Brohm underwent left shoulder surgery (labrum) after the 2006 campaign, but had firmly entrenched his status as one of college football's elite players. He was recovered from surgery early in the 2007 season, but while the offense clicked on all eight cylinders, their defense would prove to be their downfall, as the Cardinals failed to earn a bowl berth. Brohm ranked fourth in the nation with an average of 335.33 yards passing per game and finished sixth nationally with an average of 331.5 yards per game in total offense. He connected on 308-of-473 attempts (65.1%) for 4,024 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He scored three times on 57 carries and gained 3,978 yards in total offense. In 44 games at Louisville, Brohm started 33 contests. He holds conference and school career mark with 10,775 yards passing, completing 780-of-1,185 tosses (65.82%) with 71 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He ran for eight scores and 44 yards on 172 carries (0.3-yard average) and caught two passes for a total of one yard. On 1,357 offensive snaps, he generated 10,819 yards in total offense while accounting for 79 total touchdowns.

positives

Has a tall, well-proportioned frame with adequate muscle tone in the upper body...While he looks lean in his lower frame, he has the strength to absorb punishment standing in vs. the rush. Quick to change direction, showing the range of motion to escape pocket pressure...When forced to escape the pocket, he shows the balance and agility to gain yardage, but is not really used much as a running threat...His football IQ matches that of his academic skills...Knows the offense as good as the coaching staff and spends the extra hours studying tapes...Quick to grasp even the most complicated of offensive systems and will have no problems digesting the playbook...Shows the ability to make progression reads and shows good judgment in the pocket...Picks up changes in the defense almost immediately when operating under center and has the total confidence of his coach to devise game plans and execute it on the field...Could be more vocal on the field, but he has total command of the huddle. He hates "special treatment" that most quarterbacks require and prefers to be considered "one of the guys."...Likes the challenge and shows excellent toughness to stand tall and take the hit when the pocket collapses...Takes well to hard coaching and has a very business-like approach, just like the one that Drew Brees (Saints) has taken throughout his career...Even though he is perceived as a quiet leader, he will speak up when he needs to and has complete command in the huddle...Demonstrates the feet and balance needed to drive back from center, set up and be in position to unleash the ball in an instant...Has the body control to take the snap, drive off with his back foot and get to his set point before the defense can properly diagnose...Shows patience waiting for his target to uncover and excels at making progression reads, as it is very rare to see him lock on and throw to a receiver in coverage...Uses all of his targets with effectiveness and the thing you see on film is his ability to find his secondary targets, as he has that keen vision to scan the entire field before making that split decision to throw...When he throws with a high release, he demonstrates outstanding quickness, as he does a very good job of throwing across his body effectively...Smart enough to improvise on the move and shows a smooth and compact release...Puts good zip behind his tosses when throwing from the outside hashes and demonstrates the balance and agility to drive back from center to get to his set point...Knows how to place the deep ball, despite not having a cannon for an arm, as he is very effective at laying the ball over the top and down the seam...Can make the toss to the boundary and has made steady improvement on crossing routes...Has worked hard to vary the speed on his throws to make the completion, displaying the timing and consistency to make all of his throws, putting enough zip on his attempts to connect from the outside hash...Few young quarterbacks have the poise standing in the pocket that Brohm shows...Keeps calm under pressure, stands tall under the blitz and has the nimble feet to elude defenders shooting the gaps on stunts...Has the peripheral vision to quickly locate edge rushers and will not shy away from absorbing punishment and taking the hit in order to complete the pass...Has that mentality to know that he can make all of his throws, but is not the type that will get "happy feet" and run with the ball too early, as he is good at making quick decisions...Has a very good feel for pocket pressure, as he can throw well on the move and has the loose hips to redirect and avoid pressure...Shuffles his feet well to avoid low tackles and will not hesitate to step up in the pocket to make the completion...Won't scare any defender as a scrambler, but he shows good awareness and lateral agility to slide in the pocket and can square his shoulders to generate better accuracy throwing to his left or right...Has the ability to stand tall and hit his targets in stride on timing routes, showing a good feel in the pocket to make good decisions with opponents flushing him out of the pocket.

compares to

DREW BREES-New Orleans...Brohm is three inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than Brees, but both show tremendous poise standing in with the pocket tightening. Brohm has the drive back from center and to his pass-set point and the vision scan quickly to locate secondary targets. He is a high-percentage passer and good decision maker who will not force the ball into a crowd. While his arm strength isn't cannon-like, he is capable of making all the throws, showing good patience when attacking the middle of the zone. Even though the team struggled in 2007, he remained healthy as a senior, securing his spot as a probable first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

negatives

Needs to throw the ball with a better arc and trajectory, as he has had a fair amount of his passes deflected (34 in both 2005 and '06 and 33 in 2007)...Has less-than ideal arm length for a quarterback (29 5/8-inch length)...Needs to improve his lower-body strength and tone, especially in the quadriceps and calves...Has good mobility and quickness, but does not rely on his speed to be much of a threat running with the ball...Much has been expected from based on the accomplishments of his father and brothers, but he resisted family urges to apply early for the 2007 draft, as he felt another year in college would be more beneficial...Needs to refine his release point, as he tends to drop the ball near his waist when getting into throwing motion with a windmill action when he is trying to air the ball out...Can be systematic in his approach, getting the ball off quickly, but you can see a bit of a long windup when he throws long with a lower release point...Shows good zip on his short throws, but when he fails to set his feet, he will get into a rhythm where the receiver will have to accelerate in order to get to his tosses, as he will over-lead at times...Sometimes in the short area, he would throw too early, failing to hit his targets coming out of their breaks, but he refined his release a bit to be more over-the-top...Not a vocal type, and this could irk some position coaches, but will take command in the huddle and is a respected leader...Has good mobility and can roll either right or left and throw with accuracy, but could be more consistent in this area...Has enough skills to avoid and escape the pass rush, squaring his shoulders well, but with his lack of foot speed, he needs to improve timing on shallow crossing patterns to add another dimension to his game.

2005: Sat out the Connecticut (12/03) and Virginia Tech (1/02/06) games after he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Required reconstructive surgery in December. 2006: Did not play vs. Kansas State (9/23) and Middle Tennessee State (10/06) after he suffered a right thumb ligament tear vs. Miami...Underwent surgery after the season (1/07) to repair his left shoulder (labrum). 2007: Suffered a high ankle sprain midway through the Rutgers (11/24) game, but did not leave the game.

Campus: 4.79 in the 40-yard dash

300-pound bench press

Bench pressed 225 pounds 14 times

26 1/2-inch vertical jump

29 5/8-inch arm length

9 1/2-inch hands

Right-handed

32/45 Wonderlic score.

Attended Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) High School, playing football for head coach Bob Beatty

Named USA Today Offensive Player of the Year as a senior

Threw for 10,579 yards and 119 touchdowns (both rank second in state prep history) during his 44-game career

Recipient of the National Quarterback Club's award for the National High School Quarterback of the Year in 2003

Voted one of the 2003 National Top 150 Adidas Playmakers

Named the Gatorade Player of the Year, in addition to earning Kentucky Mr. Football accolades

Selected to the Parade Magazine High School All-American teams and ranked as the best quarterback and second-ranked prospect in the country by ESPN's Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report

Led the Shamrocks to three state titles, as he was awarded the Roy Kidd Award and was a three-time state finalist for Most Valuable Player honors

Guided the team to a 15-0 record in the state playoffs and started for the East squad in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Set a state record for career completion percentage

As a senior, Brohm threw for 3,720 yards and 33 touchdowns, completing 298-of-463 passes

Passed for 3,777 yards and 47 touchdowns on 226-of-335 passes with just one interception as a junior

In the 2002 state championship game, he completed 19-of-25 passes for 552 yards and seven touchdowns

As a sophomore, Brohm completed 174-of-273 passes for 3,082 yards and 39 scores with only five interceptions

Was also a starter on the Trinity High basketball team that went to the State Tournament for the first time ever and was named player of the game in their first-round win

Hoop squad's MVP, helping the team advance to the semifinals of the state tournament

Excelled in baseball and was drafted by Colorado Rockies in the 2002 amateur baseball draft.

Finance major, earning conference and school academic honors (3.75 GPA)

Became the fourth family member to play at Louisville

Son of Donna and Oscar Brohm

From 1968-69, Oscar lettered for the Cardinals

Brian's brother, Greg (1989-92) started for the Cardinals for three seasons at wide receiver, catching 45 passes for 722 yards and three scores for former head coach Howard Schnellenberger. Greg returned to the university in 2006, taking over as the team's Director of Football Operations

Another brother, Jeff (1990, 92-93), started at quarterback for the Cardinals in his three seasons as a letterman. He ranks among U of L's all-time leaders for passing yards (seventh, 5,451), touchdown passes (fifth, 38), completions (eighth, 402), total offense (sixth, 6,430) and completion percentage (sixth, .562). Voted the Cards' MVP in 1992 and 1993, Jeff will always be remembered for a gritty performance in leading U of L to an 18-7 victory over Michigan State in the 1993 Liberty Bowl. Playing with two steel pins and one steel plate in the index finger of his throwing hand, Jeff completed 19-of-29 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown amidst 20-degree temperatures and freezing rain to earn the game's MVP award. Jeff also played two seasons in the Cleveland Indians' organization while in college. Following his playing days at Louisville, Jeff began a seven-year career in the NFL. He started his NFL career in 1994 with the San Diego Chargers who played in Super Bowl XXIX. He played for the San Francisco 49'ers from 1995-1997 where he was the backup quarterback to Hall of Famer, Steve Young in 1997. From 1998-2000, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. In 2001, he played in the XFL for the Orlando Rage and was named first team All- XFL as he owned the league's highest QB rating at 99.9. After his playing days, Jeff returned to Louisville, where he served as an assistant coach the last four seasons. In addition to coaching the team's quarterbacks, Jeff was recently elevated to assistant head coach and will be the passing game coordinator in 2007

Brian Brohm was born 9/23/85

He resides in Louisville, Kentucky.