On the morning of Sept. 11, Oregon fans awoke to unpleasant news. Injury rumors became reality and cast a blanket of doubt over the hopes of an Oregon upset victory in the Horseshoe.

Many braced themselves for a blowout, but instead they got a showcase of depth. Without several key defenders, the Ducks relied on an arsenal of reserves and freshmen — a phenomenon that’s become a defining feature of the Oregon season through 10 weeks.

Keith Brown, a starry-eyed freshman, took the turf in Columbus and rose to the occasion. For him, it’s second nature to do so. Loss, grief and a series of hurdles in life have yet to stop the Lebanon, Oregon, native. His values and network of role models are his guiding force, no matter the moment.

In 2020, Brown’s father was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. While it devastated Keith and his brother, his mom and dad felt obligated to avoid sugarcoating the situation. 

“Nobody ever really survives pancreatic cancer,” Keith’s mother, Sarah Brown said. 

When his father passed last September, his mother became his rock, and they’ve powered through the pain together.

“Keith just kept moving because that’s what Keith does,” she said. “That’s how I raised them. We come to adversity; we overcome it, and we keep moving.”

His mom instilled in him a high standard of character, and he’s remained true to it.

“I always felt like it was my responsibility as a parent to help guide them, but ultimately they have to have the tools to make their decisions,” Sarah said.

Brown’s been known to live by this; and he doesn’t just profess it, he acts on it. Whether it is on his teams or in the community, he’s always made a point of opening his heart and lifting people up.

“He’s got a great heart,” Brown’s former wrestling coach Michael Cox said. 

There was a wrestling teammate of his that had been wearing the same clothes for several days, and people started making fun of him. Brown, a sophomore at the time, stuck up for the kid. 

When Brown went home that night, he went straight to his mom and told her what was going on. The following weekend, Brown and his mom were on their way to the store with his teammate to get some fresh clothes. 

“That comes from his mom,” Cox said. “His mom raised him right.”

Sarah works for the State of Oregon as a child abuse investigator, and it shaped the way she approaches life. In turn, it led Keith to have a similar sense of morality.

“I’ve been working with kids my whole life so kids’ safety, making sure they’re fed and clothed is just by nature for me,” Sarah said.

Brown and his mom have championed the underdog and helped those in need throughout their lives. 

In the summer, Brown carries cases of water in the trunk of his car for homeless people in Eugene.

It hasn’t just been in recent years. Brown’s values have been a consistent factor throughout his life.

“He reads the needs of others in a way that has always been beyond his years,” Brown’s family friend and middle school teacher Jody Seward said. “And this is speaking as a teacher of 50-plus years, watching kids and seeing behaviors in kids. He has an uncanny ability towards leadership, to affirm and encourage other people’s strengths when they don’t have faith in themselves.”

These traits are invaluable on the football field, on the sideline and in the locker room.

“Keith is the kind of kid you want to build a program around because he does all of the little things in leadership and leading by example,” Brown’s high school coach Ty Tomlin said.

Tomlin recalled several moments in practices and games where a player needed to be picked up, and Keith was always there.

“He was so good about trying to lift people up and getting kids to see their value and their worth,” Tomlin said.

From providing depth and boosting his injured linebacker unit to serving as an off-the-field representative for the Oregon program, Brown’s values have remained consistent throughout his transition to the college game.

Starting with week two in Columbus and on through the nine weeks to follow, Brown has been an all-important piece at the linebacker position, helping to sustain a battered but brilliant unit.

Brown’s long-held values have followed him from Lebanon and well into his first season of college football, and they’ll stick with him far into the future.