The Santa Clarita region has seen an influx of past inhabitants become Super Bowl champions in recent years. Quarterback Matt Moore joined the company of the likes of Shane Vereen and Jason Pierre-Paul when he claimed the first Vince Lombardi Trophy of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was not the starter for the contest, although he watched from the sidelines as Patrick Mahomes engineered a fourth-quarterback to guide Andy Reid’s men to the crown.
The Santa Clarita region could see another former star match the feat of Moore in the 2020 season. Marquise Brown attended the College of the Canyons and worked at Six Flags during the 2016 season after failing to get an offer from a top football college after emerging from high school. He remained in the region for one year before receiving an offer to play for the Oklahoma Sooners.
There the wideout made a name for himself, producing several brilliant performances with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at the quarterback position. Due to the standard of his displays, the Baltimore Ravens acted to select Brown in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
In combination with quarterback Lamar Jackson, he enjoyed a fine rookie term in the NFL. Brown recorded 584 receiving yards and seven touchdowns – finishing behind Mark Andrews as the leading receiver on the team. Baltimore’s season ended in disappointment, losing out to the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, the Ravens are backed to go back to the post-season and have NFL betting odds of +600 to win the Super Bowl – tied as the perceived favorites with the defending champion Chiefs. Brown will play an integral role in their success next term.
Most wideouts tend to take a significant leap forward in their second year in the league, and the Ravens will be anticipating a breakout campaign from the 23-year-old. He boasts an intriguing skill set in the mold of Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Brown possesses the express speed to break over the top, which was highlighted in the last term in his seven touchdowns. He now needs to refine his route-running skills to mesh the two traits together to form something greater. His cousin Antonio Brown was one of the best route runners in the history of the league at the peak of his powers. Taking heed from him would be a huge benefit – and if can find a semblance of the same success, the 23-year-old will have a very good career.
Baltimore needs him to thrive next term to realize their Super Bowl ambitions. Jackson and their running backs were excellent last season to spark the offense. However, the burden was too great on Jackson in their playoff defeat to the Titans.
Boasting a top-quality receiver will ease the pressure on the quarterback from having to be perfect. Brown will be a very important player in his bid to join the list of Santa Clarita inhabitants to own a Super Bowl ring.
