You can hardly blame Dallas Cowboys rookie Camden Brown for having a good bit of emotion following the announcement on Sunday that he had made the initial 53-man roster of the team coming out of training camp and his brilliant preseason performance. And, of course, at this time of year, every player on the back end of the roster should be careful–the initial 53-man roster will go through a few more convulsions before the regular season comes around, so we still can’t say for sure that Brown will stick.
But considering he entered training camp as an undrafted longshot in a very crowded receiver room, Brown’s emergence was one of the stories of the summer, as he piled up eight catches, 166 yards and two touchdowns in three games.
After learning he made the team, Brown went to Instagram and posted, “Don’t chase the light. Become someone who carries it.”
Camden Brown Talked About Personal Loss
Brown certainly established himself as a fan favorite with the Cowboys, and a player whose backstory resonated with those who were paying attention. He lost his sister five years ago to kidney failure, when she was just 17. Brown spoke about the difficulty of that loss, and he still wears a necklace in her memory.
After Brown broke out for two touchdowns in the first Cowboys preseason game, against Seattle, he said, “She had kidney failure. People said she wasn’t gonna make it past three. She still proved people wrong. She lived to 17 years old.
“So this past week was a little rough for me because August 13th, 2021 was the day she passed away. So I’m blessed, just living through her every single day. I feel like she lived through me today. That’s just the exciting thing about me. Every single day is the way I can share my story and be the best version of myself every single day.”
Long Road to the Cowboys
Brown did have a strange journey from the start of his collegiate career to its end at Georgia Southern, and into the NFL with the Cowboys.
Brown was mostly unproductive in three seasons at Auburn, where he played 37 games but made only 26 catches and did not feel her was going to get his opportunities as a senior. Rather than wait it out with Auburn he decided to chase more targets at Georgia Southern.
Once there, Brown put up big numbers in 2025, going for 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns, second in FBS. Those were also both school records for Georgia Southern.
More Work to Do for Camden Brown to Keep Cowboys Roster Spot
Again, despite the longshot odds he has overcome to make it to this point with the Cowboys, Brown still has a long way to go to make sure he sticks in the NFL. The team’s wide-receiver room now has six players, with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at the top of the pecking order, and Ryan Flournoy among the best WR3s in the NFL. KaVontae Turpin will probably focus more on returning kicks this year, but he is No. 4, with Jonathan Mingo keeping his spot after a strong camp at No. 5.
The Cowboys don’t really need six receivers, which is why it was a surprise the Brown made the first cut. But Brown said that, after having languished at Auburn before showing what he could do at Georgia Southern, he is used to changing minds.
Said Brown: “I feel like I get to prove people wrong again. That’s just who I am.”