Leaders come in many forms. For the longest tenured Texan in the locker room, it's a skill that's been in the making for seven seasons.
"I think I lead by example a lot," Duane Brown said. "I try to work pretty hard. I take everything very seriously, whether it's a workout, walkthrough, meetings. I try to give guys something to look at as an example. I can be vocal, if I need to be. I think my level of intensity is something that I think a lot of people look to. Just kind of setting the tone out there for the offense, at least. I'm always open for questions, you know what I mean?"
His rookie season was rough, even though he started all 16 games. His next season was better, but it took time before the All-Pro tackle eventually learned to stop overthinking the game and just let instinct take over. Brown, drafted 26th overall in 2008, knows what it takes to achieve and maintain success in the NFL. For younger players, he's someone they can turn to for guidance.
"It's crazy for me to think that I've been here so long, going into my eighth year," Brown said. "A lot of rookies, second-year, or third-year players come to me with questions. I'm more than happy to have conversations with them. Whatever way I can help. People always paved the way for me and set a great example for me, so I just try to do the same thing."
Brown has started all 106 games he has played, currently ranking in sixth place on the franchise's all-time games played list. The two-time Pro Bowler has also blocked for five 1,000-yard rushers and was a part of a top-10 offense in four of his first five years in the NFL.
