St. Mary’s High School senior David Brown Jr., one of the greatest athletes in the history of the city, signed a National Letter-of-Intent to attend Bentley University during an impressive ceremony Feb. 9 at the school.
Brown is a genuine two-sport megastar, having earned Player of the Year honors and All-Scholastic recognition in football and basketball from the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Daily Item. He has led the Spartans to state titles in both sports and will hope to add a third ring to his collection when the MIAA State Basketball Tournament begins next week.
At a school that has produced an array of extraordinary athletes and state champions in Jeff Newhall’s unmatched program, Brown ranks among the all-time best, according to Head of School Dr. John Dolan. “When you get to be my age, you can make statements like, he [Brown] may be the best athlete to have been through here in the last 20 years,” said Dolan. “We are so proud of David Brown Jr. on this day when he signs to go to Bentley University and play for the Falcons. He has had a wonderful career.”
During his amazing career, David Brown Jr. has enjoyed the golden opportunities to play at the TD Garden, Fenway Park, and Gillette Stadium. Last March, the 5-foot-9-inch guard sealed the Spartans’ state championship with a thunderous dunk in the final minutes of a victory over Watertown.
“I think the moment that stands out was being in the huddle on the last drive in the Super Bowl and we’re talking before taking a knee [in victory formation] – and it was like, this is a great moment to share with all my friends.”
David Brown Jr. is the son of David Brown Sr., the St. Mary’s head basketball coach, and Helen Pedro Brown, and the grandson of the late Pete Pedro, a sport legend in the city of the Lynn and the state of Texas where he set college football records at West Texas State.
“My father was always supporting me, whether I was playing football, basketball, or baseball – having him and my mom at every game meant a lot,” said David Jr.
Experiencing the joy of the NLI signing ceremony with his wife, Helen, David Brown Sr. told the Lynn Journal, “It’s just great as a parent and as a coach – you don’t have too many athletes come through your program that become Division 2 or Division 1 athletes. So, this is all the result of David’s hard work, in the classroom especially – now he realizes that football opened the door for him, but his grades kept that door open. That was great for him to see, and the other kids to see – if you do the schoolwork, athletics will open the door, but academics is what is going to carry you through and have schools really interested in you.”
Added David Brown Sr., “I just want to thank the school for all their support – David has been here since the sixth grade. The Board of Trustees did a great job of supporting David and making sure he stayed here. The administration did a great job of being on top of his academics and supporting him when he did well on the athletic field. Coach Sean Driscoll and his staff really maximized David’s football skills and it paid off with a lot of accolades on the field and schools being interested in him. And obviously Mr. [Jeff] Newhall does a great job with all the student-athletes. David knows he has a lot of support in the school, and that goes a long way.”
David Brown Jr. hasn’t let up one bit on the basketball court since signing his National Letter-of-Intent. In Monday’s final of the Spartans Classic, Brown connected on a midair, double-pump, off-the-glass, three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime where Malden Catholic ultimately prevailed, 71-64. Next up is the MIAA Basketball Tournament and a run at a second state title.