Corey Brown Goes From Starring At Cardinal O'Hara To Playing In Super Bowl 50
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Children everywhere dream about having a chance to play in a Super Bowl. Philadelphia native Corey Brown is getting set to live out that dream this upcoming Sunday as his Carolina Panthers do battle with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Brown goes by "Philly," Brown to many of his teammates. Brown still has very strong ties to Philadelphia and his family could not be more proud of what the former Cardinal O'Hara standout has accomplished.
The Panthers wide receiver has been an unforeseen key to the Panthers amazing season. Brown's family has been there for him every step of the way. Brown's mother, Delene Williams, credits much of her son's success to his former coach at Cardinal O'Hara, Dan Algeo.
"Under Algeo's mentoring and coaching, [Corey Brown] just became unbelievable at everything that he did," Williams said of her son.
Algeo died of a heart attack in 2014, but his daughter Becca talked about the relationship her father had with Brown.
"Both of them meant a lot to each other," she said. "I mean like, I wasn't there for it all, but I was at a lot of the practices. My dad was extremely proud of Corey and I think my dad definitely impacted Corey."
Brown is passing that impact along as his younger brother, Justin Santilla, is currently a sophomore at O'Hara and hopes to follow in his big brother's footsteps.
"Me, him and my older brother Courtney, we used to go over to the field all the time and play around. They used to always bully me and stuff and like try to say I would never be as good as them, but Courtney just tells me keep working and I'll be as good as him one day maybe."
Williams said it is special to see her son accomplishing this goal with the Panthers. She says the group plays together like brothers and that the Panthers are a tight group that cares for one another. The family will be heading out to Santa Clara, California for the big game on Tuesday. They are hoping to see Brown fulfill the immediate dream of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Even if he comes up short of that goal, Williams will be proud of what her son has accomplished since his days at Cardinal O'Hara.