Yahoo Finance Lexington Christian’s Xavier Brown earns Kentucky player of the year honor
Lexington Christian Academy running back Xavier Brown was named Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year on Tuesday, joining a prestigious fraternity of past winners who have gone on to college and pro stardom.
Gatorade is in its 37th year honoring athletes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The award recognizes not only athletic excellence but also high academic achievement and exemplary character.
Now a finalist for the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December, Brown joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners, including Emmitt Smith, Matthew Stafford and Christian McCaffrey.
Recent winners of the Kentucky award include Jager Burton (2020-21, Frederick Douglass), Michael Mayer (2019-20, Covington Catholic), Wan’Dale Robinson (2018-19, Western Hills) and Rondale Moore (2017-18, Trinity).
Brown, who has committed to play college football at the University of Virginia, is the first Gatorade football award winner from Lexington Christian.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior running back led the Eagles to a 13-1 record and a runner-up finish in Class 2A this season. Brown rushed for 1,511 yards and 22 touchdowns on 117 carries and also caught 17 passes for 398 yards and six scores.
Also a standout in track and field, Brown has volunteered locally on behalf of his school’s Beta Club and Diversity Council. He has maintained a 3.63 grade-point average in the classroom.
“Xavier Brown is as explosive a football player as our state has to offer,” said Jason Morris, head coach at Owensboro Catholic High School. “He can hurt you in every aspect of the game. He’s a great returner on special teams, a terrific athlete on offense — catching and running the ball — and he can cover any receiver on defense.”
Through Gatorade’s “Play it Forward” platform, Brown has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national organization of his choosing that helps young athletes realize the benefits of playing sports.
