Year after year, defender C.J. Brown continues to be an anchor for the Fire backline while at the same time entrenching himself deeper into the club's record books. Brown enters his team-record 12th season as the Fire's career leader in MLS regular season games played (252), games started (247), as well as holding the squad's all-time lead in minutes played (21,944).
The California Bay Area native has competed at the highest level for both club and country during his career, having played an integral part in all five of the Fire's domestic Cup titles (MLS Cup '98 and the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups), three conference crowns, and the 2003 MLS Supporters Shield season. In addition, Brown earned 15 caps with the U.S. Senior Men's National Team from 1998-2003.
Perhaps more important than his hard-nosed defending on the field, Brown has helped show the Fire's younger players the ropes of MLS, a role he'll continue to fill as one of the team's two remaining "Fire Originals" on the roster. The 2001 MLS All-Star selection has been an inspiration off the field as well, winning the 2001, 2002, and 2003 Fire/USSF Humanitarian of the Year awards for his efforts in the Chicagoland community.
Fire Insider: C.J., Talk to me a little bit about how you first started playing soccer. How old were you?
CJ Brown: I was around six or seven years old in Eugene, Oregon and a good friend of mine had started a soccer team and I just started playing.
FI: When did you realize that you had a special talent for soccer?
CJB: I don't know if there was ever really a special talent for it. It was just something that I really liked to do. We moved to California when I was ten or so, and we looked for some competitive teams. When I was around 13 years old, I hooked up with a group who had a coach who took us to Italy just before our freshman year in high school. We actually got to play some teams there. That's when I knew I really, really wanted to be a soccer player.
FI: Did you ever play any other sports?
CJB: I played basketball. I mean I could rebound, but couldn't shoot. Never liked baseball, and tried a bit of football. But soccer was the thing for me.
FI: Have you always played defender, is that where you started out?
CJB: I've always played defender, but in high school you can get away with playing many positions, so I was midfielder and forward. I was leading scorer during one of my years in high school.
FI: Do you know how many goals you scored?
CJB: I scored like thirteen goals or so. (laugh). If you look at my stats now you'd be like 'no way!' (laugh) Always a defender, but depending on the level I could always play different spots.
FI: How did you choose your college?
CJB: I don't know if it was a choice of choosing college. It was more of the college choosing me. Again, there wasn't like a true talent. It wasn't like everybody was going, 'oh he is such an amazing player'. San Jose State had an interest but I was looking to go to Division II Concordia College up in the Vancouver area. But then I came back because money-wise it wasn't good for me. San Jose State gave me a scholarship and because I couldn't afford to go to school, it turned out to be a good fit.
FI: Who was your first major influence for you on your soccer career? Is it your coach that took you to Italy or was it someone else?
CJB: He would be the first person I would say, yes. Luigi Sarefini, he was a very influential person. He had a lot of experience growing up in Italy. My dad was a big influence on me too, on the competitive side.
FI: So did the rest of your family adapt to the love of soccer as well?
CJB: My sister played also. She was an amazing player. She was a forward, left footed and right footed. She would kill the ball. But as she got older and went into college, she developed asthma and that shut her down. My mom played. She was a goalkeeper. My dad coached like crazy, including the high school where my sister and I were playing. He was a big football guy - and he played football too. So he adapted to it when we started playing. The whole family pretty much adapted to it. To this day my parents help out my little niece. They go to her games and try to take her around and get her to do single sessions. It's a big deal in our family now.
FI: Do your parents still coach? Do they give you pointers?
CJB: Yes, to this day he will still tell me how to eat, how to train, how to do certain workouts and other things. He's trying to keep me sharp. It's just his nature.
FI: What advice would you give to younger players, having gone through the community leagues and working hard to become a decorated professional. What advice would you give them who are in a similar situation to the one you went through?
CJB: You have to enjoy what you're doing. There are coaches out there that have their own style of playing soccer. You might have to work harder for some coaches because they don't fancy you. You just have to work hard and go with what surrounds you. You just have to push through those hard times. I wasn't a super star then and I'm not a superstar now, but I've worked hard and that's what has kept me with the Fire. I think that's what I try to preach to everyone else. Work hard and things will happen.
