Malverne WR and Penn State commit Josiah Brown needs knee surgery, will miss rest of the season
Malverne's Josiah Brown stands with crutches on the sideline against Cold Spring Harbor on Friday. Credit: Howard Simmons
Malverne wide receiver and Penn State commit Josiah Brown said he will need reconstructive knee surgery and is out for the remainder of the season.
Brown had an MRI earlier this week and his doctor said he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus. Despite the bad news, Brown said the doctor told him he will make a full recovery.
“I've gotten great news from the doctor that my right leg will come back stronger than ever,” Brown said. “It did hurt initially to hear how severe it was, but I mentally prepared myself for it.”
Brown was injured early in the second quarter of Friday's 21-14 loss to Cold Spring Harbor and had to be helped off the field after he planted his right foot and made a sharp cut in the opposite direction.
Brown, who leads the Mules with eight touchdowns and 529 all-purpose yards in six games this season, is scheduled to undergo surgery next week.
“It’s obviously an impactful loss, but he will remain a huge part of this team,” Malverne athletic director Michael Palen said. “I told him that we need him more than ever now to be the team’s leader . . . It’s always about his team and never about him. He knows the impact he can have by being positive and that’s what he plans to do.”
Brown, who announced his verbal commitment to Penn State in June, said he is still on track to graduate from Malverne in January before heading to Happy Valley in the spring.
Penn State coach James Franklin attended Friday’s game via helicopter.
“I’ve been in contact [with Penn State]. They wished me a speedy recovery and said they will be there for every step of my recovery process,” Brown said.
The 6-foot, 170-pound wideout becomes another key Malverne offensive player to be lost due to injury, joining running backs Nick Brown (no relation) and Brandon McLaughlin. McLaughlin is expected to return this week. Malverne, which is 5-1, was the preseason No. 2 seed in Nassau Conference IIII.
Brown transferred to Malverne for his senior season after playing for three years at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville.
“I thanked [my team] for the memories and they told me how much they appreciate me coming back this year,” Brown said. “I absolutely plan to be there on the sidelines helping my teammates continue to be successful this season in any way I can. They have had my back, and I’ll always have theirs.”
