Josh Brown

Published 12:01 am Thursday, September 6, 2007

While the NFL’s franchise tag has sent dozens of players into a child-like tantrum over the years, Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Brown met the designation with nothing short of pride.

“It’s only been given to (Adam) Vinatieri and Jason Elam,” Brown said, referring to the only other kickers ever to be franchised by their teams. “Jason Elam was my hero growing up. … And Adam has made some of the most exciting kicks in National Football League history.

“It’s good to be considered in a category with those two guys.”

Just what does it take for a kicker to get the franchise tag? Many considered Elam to have the strongest leg in the NFL when the Denver Broncos franchised him in 2002, and Vinatieri had two Super Bowl-winning kicks. But last season, Brown did something neither of them had ever done.

By drilling a league-record-tying four game-winning field goals in 2006, Brown established himself as one of the best clutch kickers of his generation.

“It’s kind of like putting the ball in Michael Jordan’s hands,” return man Nate Burleson said of having Brown line up for a potential game-winner. “Every blue moon, Michael Jordan would miss the shot, but more often than not the game’s over when you give the ball to Mike.

“Josh is doing a good job. It’s good that you’ve got a guy like that on the team that really embraces the moment.”

While many of Seattle’s specialists have turned over since the start of last season punt returner Burleson and long snapper Derek Rackley took over midway through the year, while coach Bruce DeHaven is in his first year with the Seahawks Brown is the unit’s longest-tenured member. At just 28 years old, Brown is the old man of the team’s special teams unit. He also was named team captain this week.

The playful kicker with the sharp tongue recently reminded coach Mike Holmgren of his NFL experience, only to get a dose of his own smart-aleck medicine. Second-year punter Ryan Plackemeier recalled a training camp exchange in which Brown boasted about being the most “mature” specialist on the team. Holmgren’s response, according to Plackemeier, was: “The jury’s still out on that one.”

The wise-cracking Brown takes as much guff as he dishes out, but he said he takes his new role of a leader seriously.

“I try to mix the two,” he said of being a jokester as well as a team leader. “My personality is that of a character a funny guy, I guess. I like to cut up. But at the same time, there needs to be a level of seriousness and a level of leadership that’s different from years past.

“To earn guys’ respect, the only thing I really need to do is play well on the field on Sundays. But there is a sense of a little bit more responsibility after being here a while.”

There’s also a bigger sense of responsibility that comes with the franchise tag, which will pay Brown $2.078 million this year before he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent if the two sides don’t agree on a long-term contract in January or February of next year.

Brown said he’s not concerned with the added pressure of a big salary.

“The money situation, it wasn’t my decision,” said Brown, who made $721,600 in base salary in ‘06. “It’s not something I’m going to stress over. I don’t really feel like there’s any different kind of pressure.

“It wasn’t my idea to do the franchise tag. It’s something I gladly accepted, but it wasn’t something that was my decision.”

Brown is glad to have the franchise tag.

And the Seahawks are certainly happy to have Brown.