Cardinal Rewind: Brian Brohm

Our latest Cardinal Rewind is with former star Quarterback, Brian Brohm. Brohm is a hometown kid that went to Trinity High School before attending UofL from 2004-2007 to carry on the tradition of the Brohm family at UofL.

Brohm ranks 2nd in school history in career passing yards with 10,775. He is also 2nd in attempts (1,185) and completions (780). He trails Chris Redman in those 3 categories. He is the leader in touchdowns thrown in a season with 30 in 2007. In almost every other major passing category, Brohm is in the Top 3.

CSZ: What have you been up to since your days at UofL?

Brian: Since leaving UofL, as you probably already know, I have been fortunate to play for the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, and in the UFL for the Las Vegas Locos. I have thoroughly enjoyed each place that I have been. I was with Green Bay as the third string QB in 2008 and placed on the practice squad in 2009. Can honestly say that my Green Bay experience went a lot different than I expected but I feel my experience there made me a stronger person and player. In 2009, the Bills called me up and offered my a roster spot. When Green Bay heard of this offer they decided to match what the Bills were offering, but I decided that a change of scenery was the best option at the time. Spent 2009 as the Bills third string QB and earned one start at the end of the year. In 2010, I was moved up to second string QB and got another start to end the 2010 season. After waiting for the lockout to end, I was not signed to any NFL team so I decided to join the Las Vegas Locos of the UFL. Had a great time in Las Vegas and I hope the UFL continues to operate and allow more players in my position a chance to play and grow as a football player. I feel like I am a better QB today, than I was when I left UofL, and I will continue to pursue my dream of playing professional football.

CSZ: What made you choose to stay home and play for the Louisville Cardinals rather than going somewhere bigger?

Brian: I chose to stay at UofL for a number of reasons. The first reason was that it was my dream as a little kid to be a football player at the University of Louisville. That reason was truly the deciding factor. Yes, I liked coach Petrino and his offensive system. It also didn’t hurt that my brother was coaching there at the time. However, when it came time to decide, I chose UofL when I was about seven years old and neither Notre Dame or Tennessee was going to change my mind.

CSZ: Your freshman season, you played a little bit in each game. But in the game at Miami, Stefan LeFors got hurt and you were thrown right in to play most of the game. What was your mindset when that happened? And did that performance give you confidence for the rest of the way?

Brian: My mindset going into every game was always to be very focused and ready to play as if I was the starter. That year coach Petrino would always script my first eight plays so I could focus hard on those plays and be ready in the second quarter. In the Miami game, the second quarter had come and gone, and I figured that I wasn’t going to play but knew I had to stay ready just in case. I remember Stefan had told me to get ready before his last series of the game. Stefan had been playing great so I figured he must be hurting somewhere. After that series Doctor Shea was actually the first one to tell me I was in the game because he had taken Stefan’s helmet away from him because of a concussion. I immediately started warming up and wasn’t nervous at all. I had a huge adrenaline rush when I hit the field. It was Thursday night at the Orange Bowl in an already great game against Miami. I had a ton of fun playing in that game and it helped me gain the confidence of the older players in the locker room. I’m not so sure all of the older players liked that I was replacing Stefan for parts of the second quarter in each game, but I believe this game helped me earn their respect.

CSZ: What are your best and worst memories as a Cardinal?

Brian: I think the highlights of my career as a Cardinal would be the Orange Bowl, Beating WVU at home, Beating Miami at home, drilling Kentucky in 2006, and playing in the Liberty Bowl. I believe three of my best performances came in the 2005 season against Oregon State, North Carolina, and Rutgers. In those three games I really got into another ‘zone’. I also had fun slinging the ball around against Middle Tennessee and Cincinnati in 2007. Worst moments were the tough losses. Kentucky, Syracuse, and South Florida in 2007 stick out to me. UCONN stole their win in 2007 which still makes me angry. Obviously, Rutgers in 2006 hurts more than any of them. The illegal onside kick by WVU in 2005 still irks me to this day too.

CSZ: Have you met Coach Charlie Strong? What do you think about the direction of the program right now?

Brian: I think Coach Strong has done a tremendous job so far. He has the program going the right way and I look forward to our next trip to the BCS.

CSZ: You obviously had a lot of weapons when you were the QB for the Cards. Did you have a favorite target to throw the ball to? If so, why?

Brian: I was fortunate to play with a lot of great players. When I look at how many guys we had that went on to play in the NFL it truly amazes me. We were loaded with talent, and that made my job a lot easier. Those guys really made me look good! The two targets I threw to the most were probably Joshua Tinch and Harry Douglas. Both of these guys were tremendous competitors and leaders of the team. I knew they would do anything to win the game. The fire they possessed in their eyes and the will to win were what made each of them so special and they really set the tone for everybody else. I think what I really liked was that when I would lay them out to get hit really hard, they would come back and want me to throw them the next ball too. Those aren’t the only two guys, but I would have to write a book to tell you about all of them because we had so many.

CSZ: What is the biggest difference you have seen in the college and NFL game?

Brian: Everyone always says that the biggest difference is speed, but I think they are missing the most important element. There are a lot of fast guys playing college football, but what makes the NFL guys so special is that they possess that speed as well as the knowledge to use it effectively. So, I think it is that guys are smarter.

CSZ: Looking over your resume’ at Louisville the common theme seems to be 300+ yards and Big East Player of the Week, especially after your freshman campaign. What do you miss most about college and playing football at Louisville?

Brian: Playing at Louisville was truly everything I thought it would be. I definitely miss walking out on the field at Cardinal Stadium and playing in front of the hometown crowd. I think what we all truly miss are the people we got to play with, the guys in the locker room, the coaches we became close to, and really the opportunity to go out there and play football with all your best friends. I think that’s what makes college football so special to most of the other guys who have played it as well.

CSZ: Being a leader and “Hometown Star” here at Louisville, how were you able to balance sports, academics and your personal life?

Brian: I think it all starts with your priorities. I always put school and football as my top priorities. I did what I needed to do to make sure my grades were good and I was playing to the best of my abilities. In the time left over I enjoyed life, spending time with friends and family, and the so-called “college experience”. I think if you know your priorities and stick to them, it really isn’t that hard.

CSZ thanks Brian for taking the time to talk with us. All of CardNation wishes him well and we hope to see him back in the NFL soon!

Here is a highlight video found on youtube.