Albany’s Trenton Brown on the line in Super Bowl LIII

When the New England Patriots offense lines up Sunday for Super Bowl LIII, Albany’s own Trenton Brown will hold down the left side of the offensive line and protect quarterback Tom Brady’s blindside as the Patriots look to beat the Los Angeles Rams for that ultimate football ring. Super Bowl LIII will take place in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

Brown, a 2011 graduate of Westover, is the starting left tackle for the New England Patriots, who play in Boston. Fittingly enough, the Westover mascot is also the Patriots, and the school’s gym is called “Boston Garden,” a reference to where the NBA’s Boston Celtics play.

This is Brown’s first season in New England after three years with the San Francisco Giants. At 6-foot-8, 380 pounds, the 25-year-old was drafted in the seventh round out of the University of Florida back in 2015. After he left Westover, he went to Georgia Military College and later to the University of Florida. Last year, he became a starter for the Giants and played 10 games before a shoulder injury ended his season. He was traded to the Patriots after last season and even though things started slow because of his injury, he won the starting position at left tackle and has played all season.

Brown’s former head coach and the current athletic director and assistant principal at Westover, Octavia Jones, remembers Trenton well. “I was a first year head coach,” said Jones. “When he and his dad came to see me they both had to bend their heads down to come into the door. When you see a player that size, you know he is going to get noticed.”

Brown was transferring from Deerfield-Windsor to Westover for his senior year and Jones only had the opportunity to coach Brown one year.

“The knock on Trenton was that he was soft because he had been playing private school ball,” said Jones. “Trenton was plenty tough and very motivated,” Jones said. “He held down the left side for us that year,” the coach continued. “He also played basketball for Westover. He was a big guy, but he could move.”

Brown’s parents still live near Westover in Albany, and the Westover community is excited that Brown will be on the field in Atlanta on Sunday. His name and Super Bowl LIII are on the marquee in front of the school. Westover Principal William Chunn is hoping to get a fourth football to display in his office at the school. He has Super Bowl balls from a former student during his time as the coach at Monroe, Deion Branch.

“I am hoping to add to my collection,” said Chunn. “We are excited about Trenton and what this means for our community.”

“This should be why we do what we do,” Jones said. “Yes winning games and championships is great, but seeing one of your students accomplish such great things brings a feeling like no other.”