Cards WR John Brown on Richard Sherman: ‘I don’t think he could cover me one-on-one’

From the moment he stepped on to football field in an Arizona Cardinals uniform, wide receiver John Brown made quite an impact.

In fact, he scored the game-winning touchdown in his first pro contest — an 18-17 Monday Night Football win over the San Diego Chargers last September at University of Phoenix Stadium.

With one season in the league under his belt, Brown continues to improve in all areas. Maybe the most noticeable difference in the 2015 version of the man they call “Smoke,” is his confidence. He displayed that while talking to Burns and Gambo Wednesday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

When asked if any cornerback in the league could cover him one-on-one, Brown had a simple answer.

“No, I don’t think anyone can cover me in the league,” he said. “Patrick Peterson, he gives me a lot of trouble (in practice). We go back-and-forth. I would like to face Darrelle Revis — he’s a great corner and he does a lot of great things.

“Going against those guys, I think I’ll develop my game to another level.”

In a follow-up question, Brown was asked specifically if Seattle All-Pro corner Richard Sherman could blanket him.

“No, I don’t think he could cover me one-on-one,” he said.

What makes Brown so hard for anyone to cover is his blazing speed. The former Pittsburg State standout was on of the fastest players available in the 2014 draft. Interestingly enough, that wasn’t always the case.

“I was running like a 4.8 (40-yard dash) in the 11th grade,” Brown said, explaining why the big schools in his native Florida didn’t recruit him. “Going into my 12th-grade year, I went from a 4.8 to a 4.3.”

By the time Brown shaved five-tenths of a second off his 40 time, he had already been passed over by most Division I schools. But how exactly does a player get that much faster in the span of one year?

“I was small, so I got in the weight room, I did extra work — I did things that other guys wouldn’t do,” Brown said. “Like stay after practice, work on my routes, work on my stance and starts and then out of nowhere, I just became fast.

“So when you saw me from my 11th-grade year to my 12th-grade year, I was much faster.”

Brown used that speed to his advantage in 2014 when he caught 48 passes for 696 yards and five touchdowns — four of which turned out to be game-winners for the Cardinals, who won 11 contests and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season.

Aside from increased confidence, Brown has also changed the way he eats. The second-year player admitted he ate a lot of fast food during his rookie campaign, which may have had an effect on his production.

He admitted he missed McDonald’s the most.

“Four times a week,” Brown said about how many meals he was eating there.

Brown and the Cardinals open their 2015 preseason schedule Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Follow @Vincemarotta