Clan-Members » be smart. It hurt. I hate leaving guys like that.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The highly touted defensive recruit that arrived at Virginia three years ago and the dispirited Andrew Brown that coach Bronco Mendenhall encountered last December had very little in common.Brown, a five-star recruit and Gatorade national player of the year, had lost his way.He had quickly found his way into then-defensive coordinator Jon Tenutas doghouse once he got on campus. Brown didnt put in the work needed to be successful in college and even when he adjusted his work ethic, his chances to make an impression were fleeting.With a second chance to shine, the new and improved Brown is thriving under Mendenhall. Brown is doing so well that Mendenhall gets emotional when talking about the journey of such a talented recruit with the potential to be an impact player in the program.Thats kind of a tender spot for me. the Cavaliers first-year coach said this week of Brown. Hes maturing, and hes trying really hard. Hes transforming kind of right before our eyes into a more mature, more capable, more trustworthy, more responsible person and player all at the same time. And hes enjoying it.Brown is one of several reasons for optimism at Virginia despite its disappointing record.The Cavaliers (2-6, 1/3 Atlantic Coast Conference) play at Wake Forest (5-3, 2-2) on Saturday.The soft-spoken Brown is second among the Cavaliers with 7 1/2 tackles for a loss this season, and got his fourth sack last weekend when the Cavaliers came within an eyelash of beating No. 5 Louisville .With one more year ahead of him, hes eager to see what the future holds.I dont have a whole lot of mileage on my body, so its a plus, he said. ... I was blessed with the opportunity to have a lot more snaps than I played my previous two years. So looking back, it humbles me and pushes me to drive forward because if it wasnt for the new coaching staff, I would probably be in the same position.Mendenhall, meanwhile, acknowledges that Brown has been a challenging player to coach.There have been times where Ive told him, `less drama, more work, he said. I probably said it maybe to him more frequently than any other player at the beginning of our time here as he was in a pretty fragile spot, and I cant speak to that. Im just saying what I saw when I arrived. ... Still on given plays, hell do things where Im wondering where hes going and whats he doing. But now, more often, hes doing it how hes supposed to do it.Brown feels like he has a duty to be there for his team, and he regrets not being able to be on the field after the first play of the Cardinals game-winning drive. Instead, he was nursing a cramp, and watching.I knew my team needed me and I needed to be in there, he said. But at the end of the day, Ive got to control what I can control and at that point in time, I couldnt control that I was cramping up. So Ill do what I can do this week, just prepare and treat my body better than I did the week previously and come ready to play.Virginia has four games remaining, and needs to win them all to make a bowl for the first time since 2011.Were just ready to attack it, Brown said. Its not too much thinking involved. Its one game at a time and thats the right mind to have. And you just got to take it one game at a time. If youre looking past Wake Forest and at the other teams then you wont be able to really lock in on the task at hand, which is Wake Forest.So just taking it one game at a time, like I said.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Hank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjr Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys . 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CLEVELAND -- Charlie Whitehurst grimaced in pain and was nearly doubled over as he leaned on a stanchion outside Clevelands locker room while waiting to undergo X-rays.There was a line of patients.The Browns are losing quarterbacks as quickly as games.Whitehurst and rookie starter Cody Kessler were both injured on Sunday during a 33-13 loss to the New England Patriots, further damaging Clevelands already ravaged quarterback situation.Kessler, making his third start after Robert Griffin III (broken bone in his shoulder) and Josh McCown (broken collarbone) got hurt in the seasons first two weeks, injured his ribs and chest when he was hit hard in the first quarter on a backward pass that skipped out of the end zone and turned into a safety for New England.Whitehurst took over in the second half, but hyperextended his right knee in the final minutes and hobbled to the sideline.The veteran returned to the field to run out the final seconds, but his status for next weeks game at Tennessee remains unclear.I think Ill be fine, he said. I dont know. Well see. I guess there will be some tests, but I think Ill be fine. Ill be ready.The injuries to Kessler and Whitehurst have only magnified problems for first-year Browns coach Hue Jackson, who continues to put on a brave front in the face of the mounting injuries.Jacksons job in rebuilding the Browns was going to be difficult enough. Now hes dealing with a revolving door at the games most important position. Grifffin remains sidelined indefinitely, while McCown is holding out hope he could be back soon.ddddddddddddackson did not provide any specifics on Kesslers injury other than to say nothing was broken.Kessler was drilled by linebacker Donta Hightower as he tried to throw a swing pass to running back Duke Johnson.The third-round draft pick struggled to get up, and when he finally did he walked slowly to the sideline before he was taken to the locker room for tests. Kessler returned to the bench area, but did not go back in the game.I wanted to (play), he said. I tried, but there is a point where you have to be smart. It hurt. I hate leaving guys like that. I hate coming out. It hurt me as a person. It is unfortunate, but that is just the game.For the Browns, its been an epidemic.Theyve had three different starters and have already played five quarterbacks -- wide receiver Terrelle Pryor played 14 snaps at Miami and a few after Kessler and Whitehurst went out -- and only have rookie Kevin Hogan on the practice squad.Its unfortunate, wide receiver Andrew Hawkins said. I really dont have any words for it. Its nothing like Ive been a part of, but its football.Whitehurst dismissed the notion the Browns are snake-bitten.Its the NFL, he said. Guys get hurt. Its the way it goes.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '