Oct 13, 2006 By Jim Wexell For The 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – Before the 1996 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers believed Chad Brown didn’t have a great passion for the game. So they put their pass-rusher money in Greg Lloyd’s basket, even though Lloyd was five years older than Brown, whose contract was due to expire after the season. But Brown fooled everyone. Nine years after a hobbled Lloyd left the Steelers, the team re-signed Brown to help them through an injury crisis at the same right outside linebacker position he played as a Pro Bowler for the Steelers in 1996.

After determining that Joey Porter would miss Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a hamstring injury, the Steelers signed Brown to a one-year contract and released tight end Tim Euhus. The Steelers expect Brown to help Sunday as a dime pass rusher and special-teams player. He’ll back up first-time starter Arnold Harrison, and Brown, at 36, feels he has plenty left to offer.

“I’ve been around,” Brown said. “I’ve had nine different coordinators. Not that I can teach Coach (Dick) LeBeau about defense, but I’ve seen the game from a lot of different angles now, a lot of different styles, so perhaps I can add something to that. Perhaps I can help some of the young linebackers how to be a professional, how to take care of their body, how this game is so special.

“You only get to play this game for a short period of time. This is my 14th season. That’s well beyond the average career. While you can play it, you have to put all you can into it because when it’s over, it’s over. You never, ever get to play football again. The last time you strap on those pads is the last time you strap on those pads. So, if I can come here and help this team win some games, teach some young guys, and at the same time get to play this great game of football, why not?”

While he’s the same perceptive and intelligent linebacker who left the Steelers in 1997, Brown seems to have more passion for the game.

Brown was drafted by the Steelers out of Colorado in the second round of the 1993 draft. He soon became the team’s starting mack linebacker but made his presence felt as a dime pass rusher. When Lloyd was injured in the first game of the 1996 season, the Steelers moved Brown to right outside linebacker and he responded with 13 sacks. It was the impetus for a lucrative contract offer from the Seattle Seahawks, which he accepted.

With the Steelers from 1993-96, Brown collected 30 sacks and made the Pro Bowl once. He played in Seattle from 1997-2004 and started 107 of a possible 128 games and recorded 48 sacks. He made the Pro Bowl following the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

As a free agent in the spring of 2005, Brown turned down a better offer from the Steelers for a chance to start with the New England Patriots. He started five games last season and played in 15. He made 54 tackles but didn’t have a sack. Brown currently has 78 career sacks, two shy of Willie McGinest, who leads all active linebackers with 80 career sacks.

Brown re-signed with the Patriots on July 27 but broke his hand and was released by the team on Sept. 1.

“I was working out, on the field, in the weight room, when I was released,” he said. “I continued to work out, usually four days a week. I can’t say I’m in fantastic super shape but I’m better than some guy coming off the couch.”

Brown said his hand is healed and he was expecting a call to return to the Patriots at some point this season.

“With the uncertainty at wide receiver I knew they were releasing me because I was injured,” he said. “But there was a good chance I would come back and play for them, so I stayed in New England and continued to work out and I would imagine there would be a pretty good possibility of me coming back if I wasn’t here.”

Will he pick up LeBeau’s defense like he played it only yesterday?

“No matter what you do, 10 years later things are going to be different if you’ve been away from it,” Brown said. “At the same time it is familiar. A lot of the terminology, a lot of the defenses are the same Coach LeBeau ran 10 years ago. It was pretty familiar to go out there today. I’ve got some work to do, but I think my experience 10 years ago will allow me to help the team much sooner this year.”

Brown will wear his old No. 94 on Sunday.

“He hasn’t played football in a while so I think you have to be careful how much you expect from him in a short period of time,” said Coach Bill Cowher. “I like Chad. We talked to him a (year) ago when he was a free agent and it didn’t work out then. Obviously you don’t want to have these circumstances, but it’s good to have him back.”