PALM BEACH GARDENS – It was a simple decision for Decorri Brown.

As a respected yet underrated lineman, the appreciation and love from any coach or school will mean a lot to him. This is particularly why Brown decided to pledge his verbal commitment to Keiser on Jan. 30.

To put this in clear focus, our No. 4-ranked defensive tackle and No. 58-ranked overall player in Palm Beach County had other offers from Stetson and Valdosta State. And to go further back, Syracuse, UAB, and Pittsburgh offered Brown before his junior year started.

Takeaway from Brown’s recruiting process: Keiser wanted him the most.

“After speaking with all my recruiters, Keiser just felt like the place to be,” Brown said.

Brown will be playing college ball at Keiser with fellow Palm Beach Gardens teammate and offensive lineman Emanes Dorelus, who made his choice to go with the local NAIA institution a day earlier on Jan. 29.

“He’s a great student athlete,” Brown said of Dorelus, who also had offers from Southern Miss, Stetson, and Florida Memorial. “Not only has he been a teammate of mine since freshman year, but he’s also a great friend. Whether it’s on or off the field, he is determined and he makes sure he gets the job done properly.”

Dorelus ended this past season as our No. 3-ranked offensive lineman and No. 65 overall player in Palm Beach County.

The two Gardens stalwarts will continue feeding off each other’s great potential and strive to push even further at Keiser. But the standout tandem will never forget the level of strides they made together, particularly in what turned out to be a relatively successful season at Palm Beach Gardens.

Brown, who had 14 pancakes and gave up just two quarterback hits and one sack in nine games played, spoke about his growth experience with the Gators.

“It was a rocky start with the new coaches, running in and out, but I’ve been committed since freshman year,” Brown said. “I felt like any other senior should feel, like a leader and someone the rising seniors looked up to. Playing primarily on defense, it was fun and I loved it. And having to step up and play offense as well showed me how much I’m willing to push and help my team out. We have a great coaching staff, as every coach that helped me on the field was willing to do the same off the field. As there were and are some things I could improve on, I believe I did the best I could possibly do.”

PHOTO CREDITS: Keiser Football and Palm Beach Gardens Football