Arizona State linebacker Travion Brown looking toward law enforcement career after football

Football practice at Arizona State had long ended. Most players and coaches had made their way off of the practice field. Some stopped for interviews with the media, while others gathered at a table where drinks and snacks were spread out for the athletes. Meanwhile new linebacker Travion Brown remained on the field talking to a handful of members of the Tempe Police Department who were guests of coach Kenny Dillingham as part of his community outreach efforts.

No one was more invested in the presence of the law enforcement officers than Brown, a 6-foot-2, 236-pound graduate student who came to ASU after playing four years at Pac-12 rival Washington State. When his football playing days are over, whether it's a year from now or 10, Brown is hoping to pursue a career in that field.

How serious is he about that endeavor? Well, last Thursday the linebacker standout had an interview with the department for a spot in a volunteer training-educational program.

"I have always been interested in that," Brown said. "At first I was interested in being a lawyer but then I saw how much paperwork was going to be involved and I knew that wasn't for me. This was the next thing I thought of."

That training program would not be Brown's first introduction to the demands of the profession. He has already taken part in several "ride-alongs" with law enforcement personnel, both at his previous school as well as here in Arizona.

One of the first things he did upon arriving in Tempe in January was reach out to law enforcement. His interactions with them and those ride-alongs have not done anything to steer him away from that career aspiration. They have only further piqued his interest.

Brown says the ride-alongs on which he has been presented the more routine offenses — traffic stops, disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct situations. But he has also witnessed more intense situations.

"I had one where there was a gunman on the roof pointing a gun at everybody at a pool," said Brown, who was quick to point out that those on ride-alongs are not allowed to get out of the police vehicle. "To see that, it was a little intense. Just to see how many other cars pulled up. It was interesting. And just to see how they interacted and their teamwork. It was like a brotherhood, kind of like a football team. It's similar in a lot of ways."

Brown, who already has a degree in criminal justice and is now working on a master's in communications, says the perfect job for him would be working as a K-9 police officer. Not only is he fascinated by police work but he loves animals as well and has worked as a dog trainer on and off for the past few years. Some of the ride-alongs he has done have been with K-9 units. He has worn a bite "sleeve" and looks forward to the day he can get into a full bite "suit" used in the training of police K-9s.

"It's two things I love so that would be just perfect," he said.

Those that know Brown best think he would be a natural fit for that profession. ASU linebackers coach A.J. Cooper joined Kenny Dillingham's staff from Washington State, along with defensive coordinator Brian Ward. So Brown has been under his tutelage for the last three years. The two share another common bond as Cooper's degree from North Dakota State is in criminal justice.

Cooper also knew Brown before the days the two spent in Pullman because as a coach at Wyoming, he previously was recruiting Brown, who was then playing for Linfield Christian, a small private school in Temecula, the Inland Empire Region of Southern California. Brown excelled on both sides of the ball, his top accolade being a selection as Ambassador League Defensive Player of the Year.

Despite playing at a small school he had offers from the like of Washington, Oregon, Utah and Minnesota, among others.

"It's hard not to like him. He's a really good person and he is good with people. If you can't get along with him, you're not going to get along with anyone. People naturally gravitate toward him," Cooper said. "I talk to these guys a lot about what they're going to do after football, whether they go to the NFL or not. He's always been a guy that said, 'OK, if football doesn't work out, this is what I want to do.' He has a plan."

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Now that spring football is over, Brown is hoping to continue learning more about the profession because he knows that come late July the focus will be back on football.

Brown is one of the more important players on the defensive side of the ball. The Sun Devils lost all the linebackers who saw significant minutes last season and he is the most veteran player in his position group, having played in 39 games and registering 132 tackles in his Cougar tenure.

In 2022 Brown recorded a career-high 49 tackles, including five for loss and 1.5 sacks in 11 games. Among Pac-12 linebackers with at least 400 snaps, he was the seventh-highest graded overall player on defense. He was credited with just three missed tackles, the fewest of any Pac-12 linebacker and tied for the fourth-fewest of any FBS linebacker.

When he hit the transfer portal the first school making him an offer was USC. But when Brown's coaches joined Dillingham in Tempe, the decision was easy.

"It was a no-brainer," he said. "I like playing for coaches that keep it real, they're going to tell you the truth no matter how it makes you feel. "It was one of the best feelings, just to know I have coaches that know me like best, know my strengths and weaknesses. They trust me," he said. "They know what I can work on to get better. That made me want to come here even more."

"I even know his eating habits," Ward chimed in.

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Brown's presence is also important because he has helped bridge the gap between his coaches to teammates since he is familiar with the defense, having played under these coaches previously.

Maybe he isn't saving lives or protecting people quite yet, Brown says the lessons he has learned on the playing field are equally valuable.

"Coming from football to police is similar. Being able to have that brotherhood, that group or team atmosphere. Being able to know each others' strengths and weaknesses, being able to maneuver, get a task done from there. That's something that translates from football over to law enforcement."

Cooper has no doubt that Brown will excel in whatever path he chooses.

"Tre can talk to people from all walks of life. He's a man of faith, has great balance in his life. I tell him all the time, he's one of those guys that is going to be great no matter what he does - a father, a husband, a police officer, playing in the NFL, or anything in between," Cooper said. "He's just got that mindset. Our job is to coach, develop players, develop people. He's one of those guys you might actually learn more from him than you're actually teaching him."

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State football's Travion Brown interested in law enforcement career