Miami (Ohio) Professional Athletes

Miami (OH) safety Mike Brown has gone from practice squad afterthought to legitimate New England Patriot — and it didn't take long.

The Patriots promoted Brown to their 53-man roster on Thursday, Oct. 8, ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Raiders, rewarding the 218-pound safety for consecutive standout performances on special teams. The move came after two back-to-back standard elevations that gave Brown a chance to prove his worth — and he delivered enough to convince the coaching staff he belongs on the permanent roster.

Brown's path to this moment was a familiar one for practice squad veterans. New England elevated him alongside cornerback Kindle Vildor ahead of a Week 4 AFC East clash with the Bills — a 29-26 Patriots loss at Highmark Stadium — where both defensive backs served in special teams capacities before reverting to the practice squad. That second elevation in as many weeks, however, turned out to be Brown's audition tape. The coaching staff had seen enough.

For Miami (OH) alumni tracking the RedHawks' pipeline into professional football, Brown's roster promotion is the marquee moment of the week. The former RedHawk has carved out a niche as a core special teamer, which remains one of the most reliable ways for fringe players to stick on an NFL roster — and Brown is now living proof of that.

Elsewhere in the NFL, Dominique Robinson suited up for the Texans in their Week 4 loss to the Cowboys (30-34), continuing to hold a spot on Houston's defensive line as a pass-rush option off the edge. And Jackson Kuwatch was active for the Panthers in their 32-26 victory over the Lions — a much-needed win for a Carolina team that has struggled to find its footing this season.

Neither Robinson nor Kuwatch generated specific statistical highlights in the brief, but their continued presence on active rosters speaks to the quiet, consistent presence Miami (OH) maintains in the league. The RedHawks may not be a traditional NFL factory, but Brown's story this week is a reminder that players from Oxford can and do force their way into the conversation.

Miami Man Making His Mark in New England's Secondary

Mike Brown is quietly becoming one of the more reliable names on the New England Patriots' practice squad depth chart — and for Miami (Ohio) alumni watching the NFL, that's worth paying attention to.

The safety was elevated from the practice squad for the second consecutive week heading into Week 4, with the Patriots calling on Brown alongside cornerback Kindle Vildor ahead of their AFC East road trip to face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on October 3. The elevation came in part due to injury concerns in the secondary, with cornerback Christian Gonzalez ruled out and Woodson listed as questionable heading into the matchup.

It marked back-to-back game-day activations for Brown, who had previously served as a standard elevation for New England's Week 3 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on September 27 — a game the Patriots dropped 35-6. He and linebacker Jeremiah Pharms Jr. reverted to the practice squad following that loss, only for Brown to get the call again just days later.

Consecutive elevations are not handed out carelessly. NFL teams can elevate a practice squad player up to twice per season before that player must be signed to the active roster or released, meaning New England has already used both of Brown's standard elevation windows in a two-week span. That the coaching staff turned to Brown in consecutive weeks — particularly for a high-stakes divisional game against Buffalo — signals genuine trust in the RedHawks product to contribute in a meaningful role.

Brown brings "starting experience" to the secondary, according to Heavy Sports, a credential New England clearly valued as it tried to patch together its defensive backfield against one of the AFC's most dangerous passing attacks.

Around the League

Brown wasn't the only Miami (Ohio) alum suiting up in Week 3. Dominique Robinson was active for the Houston Texans in their 17-19 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts, while Panthers linebacker Jackson Kuwatch was on the field as Carolina fell 21-18 to the Cleveland Browns. Neither Robinson nor Kuwatch registered headline-grabbing stat lines, but both continue to hold roster spots — a testament to the ongoing NFL presence of the RedHawks' pipeline.

With Reid Holskey holding a spot on the Colts' offensive line, Silas Walters on Tampa Bay's safety depth chart, and Cade McDonald, Reggie Virgil, and Michael Dowell also active across the league, Miami (Ohio) has a quiet but legitimate footprint across the NFL in 2026.

Brown's story, though, is the one to watch. If New England opts to sign him to the active 53-man roster rather than exhaust his elevation eligibility, it would be the clearest sign yet that the RedHawks safety has carved out a real NFL future in Foxborough.