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It’s going to be another memorable chapter of NFL – and London sports – history during the Bengals-Eagles game Sunday in Cincinnati when twin brothers Chase and Sydney Brown will go head-to-head for the first time in their two-year professional careers (kick-off 1 p.m.).
The 24-year-old former Illinois University standouts will literally be on the field together since Chase is a Cincinnati running back and Sydney is an Eagles defensive back. Sydney described it as a ‘one-week breakup’ between the siblings and best buddies.
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“I’ll see him at the end of the week and after the game and stuff,” he told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “But that’s my guy. Somebody I talk to every single day, almost like my therapist in so many ways. We’ll both go our own ways, study our game plan, play our game and then after, we’ll be back like we never left.”
LONDON ROOTS
It’s an incredible story.
Single mom Raechel Brown was 18-years-old when she gave birth to Chase and Sydney two minutes apart on March 21, 2000.
Some difficult family circumstances and limited economic means meant they were always on the move, including a couple of stops at shelters. At one point, the young brothers lived in an apartment overlooking Saunders secondary school and remember watching high school football games down below. The attended Westmount public school, signed up for flag football at age 10 and started playing the tackle game in the London Minor Football Association.
Their high school career started with South Colleagiate before heading to the United States for their next step.
PATH TO THE NFL
Chase and Sydney enrolled at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton, Fla., as high school juniors and were taken in by billets Phil and Karen Yates.
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The brothers earned NCAA notice and went their separate ways – Chase to Western Michigan and Sydney to Illinois. Chase discovered that his scholarship didn’t cover the cost of pilot school and left WMU after one year.
He joined his brother with the Fighting Illini and soon became one of the best rushers in U.S. college football.
In the 2023 NFL draft, the Browns became the sixth set of twins selected in the same year. Sydney went with the 66th pick to the Eagles while the Bengals took Chase 163rd overall.
NFL CAREER TO DATE
The Eagles encounter will be Chase’s 20th NFL game. He has 110 carries for 506 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and 28 catches for 215 yards (7.7 yards per catch) in that time. Chase has scored all three of his career rushing touchdowns this season and has two touchdown receptions (one this year). His 54-yard score last year during Week 14 against Indianapolis with his South Collegiate coaches and supporters in the stands showed off his incredible speed and agility.
Sydney finished his rookie season with 30 solo tackles in 13 games (five) starts and a dazzling 99-yard interception return touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee against the New York Giants Jan. 7 and missed his first shot at the playoffs.
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He was finally cleared two weeks ago and made his sophomore season debut last weekend in a win over the Giants on the same MetLife Stadium field where he was hurt.
Now, he gets to face his brother’s team.
THEIR SEASONS SO FAR
The Bengals are trying to get back to the winning ways that propelled them to the Super Bowl two years ago. They’re 3-4 in the AFC North and need to catch the Steelers and Ravens, both 5-2. Cincinnati is 0-3 at home so far so it badly needs a win this weekend.
The Eagles are 4-2 and attempting to keep pace with the first-place Washington Commanders in the NFC East. Philly played in the Super Bowl in 2023 but lost to Kansas City.
rpyette@postmedia.com
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