PROVO — Hanging in Curtis Brown's locker is a large, framed game photo of former BYU star Jamal Willis. It's fitting, because the two have plenty in common.
Brown, the Cougar senior running back, needs 759 yards this season to become the school's all-time top rusher and dethrone Willis, who, with 2,970 career yards, has held that prestigious spot since 1994.
Yet the connection between the two runs much deeper than that.
Brown and Willis became friends a couple of years ago when Willis returned to campus to become an academic advisor. The photo that adorns Brown's locker came from Willis. While it was given partly in jest, the photo serves as token of respect they have for each other.
"If there's anyone I'd want to break the record, it's him," Willis said. "I put my picture in his locker and I've been teasing him all summer about the record. Once he breaks it, he can take the picture down." Willis smiles. "If he doesn't, he'll spend all year looking at it."
Meanwhile, Willis sees some of himself in Brown. "Curtis is a talented back," he said. "He works hard and he's a little bit like me. He's a slasher. He's a great guy, and a great back."
"Jamal's been real supportive," Brown said. "He's been a mentor to me, on and off the field. The photo humbles me every day when I go out on the practice field. We've both taken a similar path."
Like Willis, Brown arrived at BYU as a black, non-LDS freshman on a predominantly LDS and white campus. Both ended up converting to the LDS faith and marrying LDS women.
Brown was excused from practice last weekend while he was in California, where he married Kim Dabo in an LDS Temple. He returned to practice Monday, eager to continue fall camp with his teammates.
"Once I got back out here, it was time to go to work again," said Brown, who added that the honeymoon will have to wait until the season is over. "I still owe this team a lot. I want to finish what I started. I want to help this team win a championship."
Brown emphasizes that a league title is all that matters to him in this, his final season. Asked about the potential of breaking Willis' record, Brown replied, "It doesn't mean a lick if we don't win a conference championship."
Willis, Brown said, has helped him put things in perspective.
"Jamal wants to see me go out there and get (the record)," he said. "But he told me to take advantage of every opportunity and he told me not to focus on it."
Brown currently stands in seventh place on BYU's all-time rushing list with 2,211 yards. He needs to average about 64 yards per game in 12 regular-season contests to own the record outright.
With Brown closing in on the mark, Willis has begun to appreciate it.
"When I first broke the record, it never set in. It has set in lately, now that Curtis is ready to break it," he said. "It does mean a lot when you think of the accomplishments from the past history of the program."
Last year, Brown enjoyed the fifth-best rushing season in school history with 1,123 yards, eclipsing Willis' best season, when he accumulated 1,042 yards as a senior in 1994.
Besides Brown, BYU is blessed with a bevy of talent at running back. The Cougars also have sophomore Fui Vakapuna, a returned missionary who was one of the stars of spring practice. Last week, while Brown missed a few practices and Vakapuna sat out of contact drills, several backups acquitted themselves well, including sophomores Manase Tonga and Ray Hudson, and freshmen Harvey Unga and Mike Hague.
"They're deep at running back. I don't know when's the last time I've seen so many talented running backs here at one time," Willis said. "They can do it all — and not just one guy. They have three or four who can do great things. They can all run, catch, block and they're physical. The running game is what's going to carry this offense. You're going to see a lot of points."
"The offense kind of revolves around the running backs," Brown said. "We have a lot of guys stepping up and our running game will open up our passing game more. We have a lot of weapons."
While Brown is poised to help lead the Cougars to a title, along the way, he may make a little rushing history at Willis' expense. "I'm going to enjoy what's left of my career here," Brown said. "I'm looking forward to doing a lot of great things this year."
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com