CINCINNATI, Ohio — Kris Richardson, a former Folsom High School football coach and current Sacramento State coach, met the future starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, Jake Browning, when he was 10 years old.
Browning, 27, was a member of the ”Junior Bulldogs” program at Folsom High that conditions children for football in grade school. He began playing when he was 8 years old. Until Nov. 16, he was the second-string quarterback for the tiger-themed NFL team.
When Joe Burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist against the division rival Baltimore Ravens early in the game, Browning was forced to drive the offense. He scored his first touchdown in an NFL game in the fourth quarter.
His former coach has no doubt that Browning will successfully fill the role.
“He knows he doesn't have to win the game by himself,” Richardson said. “He’ll distribute the ball. He’ll be mentally prepared. He knows how to extend plays with his legs if protection breaks down.”
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Browning was a strong ally at Folsom, Richardson said.
“(Browning’s) a great teammate,” Richardson said. “He will do anything to make the team successful.”
Jonah Williams, an offensive tackle on the Bengals and first-round draft pick in 2019, was also Browning’s teammate at Folsom.
It can be easy to tell someone how to be a great quarterback, but only a few people can do it, Richardson said. Browning is one of them.
“He was a little bit different from a maturity level,” Richardson said. “He had a good work ethic and athleticism.”
On Sunday, the Bengals face another division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Browning threw eight completions out of 14 attempts filling in for Burrow against the Ravens in what became a 20-34 loss. He threw 68 yards total.
He played one series at the end of a 3-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sept. 10, then knelt to run the clock down.
Browning said in a press conference Wednesday the preparation for the team’s game against the Steelers is a little different than he’s used to, but he’s learning on the fly.
“You get some of the play calls Wednesday, usually I’m learning those as Joe is calling them,” Browning said. “Now, it’s like right before I go out to practice, I need to call those.”
He said Monday and Tuesday were full of watching Steelers’ tape.
“I’ve been in the room when we’ve played them a lot,” he said. “I got a good feel of what they’re doing on defense at this point in the week. Now, it’s, ‘What are we doing to attack that?’”
Browning said he has been frustrated at times being the second or third name on quarterback depth charts, so he is ready to play at the highest level.
“The NFL — that’s elite,” Richardson said. “Even when he was on the practice squad in the NFL, that’s very elite.”
In high school, Browning set California prep records with 1,708 career pass attempts, 1,191 completions, 16,755 passing yards and 229 touchdowns, according to ESPN.
Terry Richards, who also coached Browning at Folsom and father of former Patriots and Ravens safety Jordan Richards, said he thinks Browning will do well provided he is given some time.
“I thought Jake looked good given the circumstances he was asked to step into,” Richards said. “I’m confident he will perform admirably when given the bulk of the prep time.”
At the University of Washington, he started all 14 games in 2018, finishing his career with 53 starts out of a possible 54. He won 39 starts, the most ever by a Pac-12 quarterback, according to the college’s website.
He set the university’s career records, including 12,296 career yards, the fourth most in Pac-12 history. His numerous other achievements can be found here.
University of Washington Athletics declined to comment Wednesday on Browning’s accomplishments due to scheduling.
“He’s humble,” Richardson said. “He’ll never ever tell you about his accolades and records.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said in a press conference Wednesday that the conversations he has with Browning now are the “same when he was a backup, really.”
“Now, instead of talking to Joe, you more turn your attention to Jake,” Taylor said. “Understanding the role of the backup is… you’re an extension of the coaching staff. If you feel like there’s something that hasn’t been said or covered, you’ve got to fill that void. Jake’s been good about that.”
Browning said he only has five people attending his starting debut on Sunday because he’s from Sacramento and he has an 11-year-old sister “who’s got a big basketball game this weekend.”
