Clifton Brown

IndyStar

Ten years ago, the Indianapolis Colts’ first-round draft choice was wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez from Ohio State, the 32nd pick overall. His chance for stardom was ruined by injuries, forcing Gonzalez to retire in 2012 with just 99 career catches and only five catches during his final three seasons. Now COO of Chalk Schools in Northern California, the successful businessman with an MBA from Stanford spoke with IndyStar reporter Clifton Brown about his career, his regrets and his advice for NFL rookies.

Question: What do you remember about draft night and draft weekend 10 years ago?

Answer: It was really exciting. I remember going into that day feeling anything could happen. I wanted to get drafted in the first round, but who knew? I may not get drafted on the first day. That was back when they did Rounds 1-3 on Day 1. There’s so much anxiety and emotion. I was in Chicago where my brother lives, holed up in his apartment with about 30 family members. It was the longest first round in history, I remember that. The Colts called, I can’t remember who it was, and said they were going to pick me. I was like, "So why don’t I see my name on TV yet?" They were like, "Well, we’re going to wait a little bit to make sure nothing crazy happens." They let the clock run down to almost zero and picked me. But to hear my name called, the last pick in the first round, was an incredible feeling, the culmination of a lot of hard work. Then the realization hit me that it was going to be even harder to succeed from here. Now I’m competing alongside Peyton Manning, and Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne. I was joining an unbelievable team.

MORE COLTS:

Former Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez thinks Roger Goodell should be fired

Ranking all the Indianapolis Colts' drafts

Q: After the Colts drafted you, was there a moment you truly realized that you had stepped up in competition?

A: One of the first plays of (organized team activities) when the vets arrived. I was supposed to block Marlin Jackson, and I had always been a good run blocker in college. I missed the block by about four feet. It was because he was so quick. I remember thinking, "Okay, this is just a totally different level." Then on a mental level, there are 1,000 stories I could tell you about Peyton Manning. I remember him going over like the sixth code word on this one play. I was like, "How much of this stuff am I really going to have to remember?"

Q: As a receiver, what was it like playing with Manning?

A: It was so clear that professional football was perfect for him. He loved being a quarterback, he loved playing for the Colts, he loved preparation. That gave him the will and the strength to overcome anything that came his way. I also realized that this is one of the best people to ever do this. It’s hard to find people in life that good at something. He’s in the top one percent of quarterbacks, or players, period. It’s like the equivalent of being able to invest alongside a Warren Buffett. It’s that level of expertise and mastery.

Q: What are your best and worst memories of your Colts career?

A: The best memories are definitely the people. We had an incredible group of people on our team. We had great leaders. You could talk about Peyton forever. Jeff Saturday, one of the best people you’ll ever meet in your life, just so reliable, so loyal to the team, just a wonderful family man. Robert Mathis, who I could say the exact same things about. Then you have Tony Dungy, a Hall of Fame coach; Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Marvin (Harrison), Ryan Diem. You could literally go down the line forever. Incredible people. The worst memory is that my career just did not play out the way I hoped. I could never quite figure out the injury bug. Once it bit, it bit hard. You feel like you’re doing something wrong, like you’re at fault. But the truth is, injuries happen to you; you don’t do it to yourself. There is an element of luck in that game, and I was very lucky for about 25 years. Then it turned against me. But I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

Q: Did it hurt when people said you were a disappointment as a first-round pick?

A: I wish I could say I was strong enough to ignore that. The truth? It didn’t feel great to read those things. I’m at peace with it. It was all related to injuries. There was nobody more disappointed with being injured than me. I dedicated my entire life, up to that point, to being a professional football player.

Q: What advice would you give this year’s Colts draft class?

A: No matter what happens, good, bad or indifferent, stay grateful for the opportunity. The thing you’re doing is rare, difficult, and you should be proud of it no matter what. It’s hard to keep that perspective when you’re injured, the season isn’t going well, your buddy gets cut, or you get cut. People who stay positive all the time, like Jacob Tamme, tend to be happy and do better. The second thing I’d tell the rookies is to get involved in the community as deeply as you can. It might be the place that you’re playing, or your hometown, or the place you identify most with. But as an NFL player, you have a unique platform to affect lives outside of what happens on Sundays. You shouldn’t take that platform for granted. I wish I would have been more thoughtful about my ability to impact the states of Indiana and Ohio, two states that I love. I’d push the rookies to get involved in that way.

Q: Do you still follow the draft?

A: Absolutely. I’m a Browns fan and a Colts fan. I still love football. I still follow it. I have no ill will toward the game. It was a wonderful, important part of my life.

Q: Any advice for new Colts General Manager Chris Ballard?

A: I don’t know if he’s a religious man, but say a few prayers. There’s an element of luck. From everything I’ve heard, it looks like Mr. (Jim) Irsay made a great choice. He doesn’t need any advice from me.

Q: Describe the work you’re doing today as COO of Chalk Schools.

A: Chalk Schools is an education technology company. We automate all of the paper-based forms that run through a school district. We use the data that exists on our platform to drive insights back to our districts, so they understand what’s happening. All with the goal of making our public and K-12 institutions much more efficient. We’re nationwide. We don’t have anything in Indiana yet, but we’re in about half the states, with over 1,000 schools in over 100 districts.

Q: You come from a family of educators, correct?

A: My mother was a teacher. My sister was a teacher. My grandparents were both professors, both in Cuba and also in the U.S. My sister-in-law was a teacher.

Q: How did the notion of going to Stanford for your MBA come about?

A: I always knew I wanted some sort of post-graduate degree. I initially thought I wanted to be an attorney, but as my NFL career progressed and I got a little bit of a taste of the business world, business school seemed like a better option. After two consecutive years of injuries, I was starting to feel I should probably consider what else might be out there.

Q: Was it tough for you psychologically to retire so young?

A: I’d love to talk to other players about this. My guess is that psychologically I went through what a lot of players did. You just have no idea what to do next. Even if you have an idea, like I did, you don’t have a lot of confidence about what’s the right thing to do. Even if you transition into something quickly, do you really understand your post-football career as well as you did football? I’m glad I found something I truly enjoy.

Follow IndyStar reporter Clifton Brown on Twittter: @CliftonGBrown