FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – During the last two games, New England Patriots 2015 first-round draft pick Malcom Brown was promoted to a starting role at defensive tackle, which is an indication that he’s making progress in the eyes of the coaching staff.

His rise was sparked in part by a strong performance against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 11, with Bill Belichick calling it his best game of the season.

While Brown is making his mark on the field, he is seldom heard off it, as he’s one of the quieter players on the team in the media. Married with two children (Rayna and Mayah), he prefers to keep a low profile.

“I’m a homebody. I like chilling a lot,” Brown said.

On the field, the memory of his father, who died in a car accident when Malcom was just four years old, is a driving force for him.

“I just want him to look down on me and be very proud of what I’m doing with the talent that God gave me,” he said. “It means a lot to me that he played the game. My uncles tell me memories that they have of him playing, and I listen to them. It means a lot for me to hear that because I wasn’t around for it.”

The 21-year-old Brown shares his “football journey” as part of our weekly feature:

Malcom Brown is married with two children and prefers to stay out of the spotlight. AP Photo/Winslow Townson

When he first started playing football: “When I was 8. My whole family played, so it was just bound to happen. They passed it down to me.”

First positions he played: “Running back. Didn’t start playing D-line until I got to high school.”

Favorite teams growing up: “Whoever was winning at the time. I was kind of a bandwagon guy [smiling]. I didn’t really watch it like that, just liked to play.”

Favorite players growing up: “As I was growing up and saw Ndamukong Suh, I really liked the way he played and tried to be like him. But I didn't really have a favorite player when I was younger.”

Role models in his life: “My uncles. After my father died, they raised me the right way. If they could go back and do things differently in their life, they tried to raise me that way. They looked out for me and made sure I didn’t go down the wrong path in life.”

Favorite part of being a dad: “Just watching them learn new things. Right now, my youngest daughter is learning sign language at day care and it's neat to see her come home and show what she's learned."

Favorite memories of Brenham High School in Texas: “Brenham is a small town, so the teammates I had were basically the same kids I played little league with. It was just fun being around those guys. We had a lot of good times.”

Attending the University of Texas, where he became a top player: “I was visiting A&M and my best friend [Tim Cole] was like, ‘You need to check out some other schools. Come check out Texas with me.’ I went there and the coaches and players made me feel like I was home. ... It was far enough from home so I wouldn’t be going back every day, but close enough for family to come see me. It ended up being between there and Oklahoma and Oklahoma was too far for me for people to visit and come watch me play Saturday nights."

Entering the NFL as a first-round pick of New England after his junior season: “It was a hard decision, because I still have school left to finish and my wife [Faith] does. When I first got here, I was real quiet because I really didn’t know many of the older vets. But as I’ve been here, it’s fun being around these guys. They’ve made it real easy and I can talk to them about anything. They’ll help me out with anything, give me advice, whatever I need.”