sports@starkvilledailynews.com
As a freshman at Mississippi State in 2012, Ryan Brown wanted to move off campus. There was one condition. To do so, he had to live with teammate Nick James.
“I was really mad because I wanted to room with who I wanted to room with,” Brown recalled. “They said you can’t move off campus unless you move in with Nick James.”
Just like that, the two defensive linemen were roommates. They were far from like-minded however. James was a little rough around the edges. Brown was the eternal optimist, rooted by his faith and upbringing.