...I don't know if I've ever really explained why. In 1990, Viking and I returned to Gainesville to go back to school. We bought a house that a couple of full-time grad students with three (or was it four at the time?) great danes could afford. It was in a working-class neighborhood in the NE part of town. The day we moved in, the kid across the street came over to greet us and welcome us to the neighborhood. His name was Vernell. I think he was seven at the time, and he had the most awesome grin I've ever seen. He introduced us to his dad, Vernell, Sr., his mom Valerie, and his little brother, Vincent, who was about three. Vincent, on that day and on many, many subsequent days burst into screaming tears on the sight of one of our dogs, but Vernell loved them and always tried to help Vincent see that they weren't so scary after all.

The sweet, genuine warmth that little Vernell showed us on that day, when he was only about seven years old turned out to be what this kid was all about. He clearly got it from his parents, who were as sweet as he was. Their house was THE house that all the kids in the neighborhood chose to hang out at. Their parents knew they were safe there, and there was always something going on, so you could count on seeing anywhere from three to ten or more kids playing. Someone was always shooting hoops in the driveway or playing football in the yard or in the street. My nephew was about a year younger than Vernell, so he spent many hours playing there, too. Vernell was always so sweet to him and protective of him. He was this way with everyone. Every kid who ever met Vernell loved him. Every adult, too. He has a truly kind heart.

We lived there for a little over six years. As Vernell got older, he would mow our lawn to make a few bucks, but he also just pitched in and helped whenever anything was needed. He became a star in football and basketball at GHS, and the house remained THE place for neighborhood kids to hang out. When we moved out, one of my brothers moved in, so I still got to see the Browns fairly regularly. I remember standing in the street chatting with Vernell during the summer before his senior year in HS. He was already a sports star, but as scrawny as he was, he wasn't much of a recruit most places. I asked him if he was going to play for the Gators like his dad, and he said that it was definitely his dream, but he would have to go where he could get a scholarship and that wasn't very likely at UF.

A few months later, I was at the UAA, finishing up a meeting with a recruit when, to my surprise, Vernell and his dad walked in with Dwayne Dixon. Vernell had the same grin on his face as he did the day I met him. After I got a big hug from both of them, Coach Dixon escorted them to an office where they would meet with an academic advisor. When Coach Dixon came out to wait for them, I couldn't resist telling him that he just HAD to find a place on the team for Vernell. He looked at me like I was nuts and said "Really??" I told him that it didn't matter if Vernell never played a down for the Gators, he would make a big difference on the team. He would set a new level of work ethic at practice, he would be a leader and help steer other kids in the right direction, and he would do anything and everything that was ever asked of him. Coach Dixon gave me "Wow!" and told me he'd keep all that in mind. I was a little skeptical, but I knew Coach Dixon well enough to know he was sincere. Still, I was shocked when, at the very last minute, Vernell was actually offered a scholarship to be a Florida Gator. I have no idea if anything I said made any difference, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who told the Gator coaches these things about Vernell. Still, it's very gratifying to know that everything I said came true. He turned out to be everything I expected and then some.

Reading that story about how he turned out to be such an important influence on Coach Meyer's first team just warms my heart.