Few players can say they took as circuitous a route in becoming a Roadrunner quite like Brian Price. Growing up in Lafayette, Indiana, the future stalwart defensive lineman had dreams of one day playing in the NFL. He didn’t envision all of the stops along the way, but few dreams follow a straight line.
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He was under recruited coming out of McCutcheon High School and ended up continuing his education and playing career at Alan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. While with the Bulldogs, Price caught the attention of the UTSA running backs coach Polo Gutierrez and subsequently, Head Coach Larry Coker. After his first meeting with UTSA’s first Head Coach, Price was sold and he has been a Roadrunner ever since.
The big man was a force from day one with the Roadrunners, earning second team All-Conference honors his first year and tallying a total of 81 tackles and three sacks in his career. After graduating from UTSA, Price was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Green Bay Packers in 2016 and he has been entrenched in the league ever since.
Price has had stints in Green Bay, Dallas, Oakland, Cleveland, and is currently a member of the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. He recently took some time out from his busy schedule to talk about Coach Coker, how Marcus Davenport cost him a sack, and playing ball again in Indiana.
EM: First things first, Brian, how did you end up at UTSA? I know you started your career out in the JUCO ranks; how did you end up in San Antonio?
BP: I was maybe there at the JUCO for four and a half to five months and the season had just ended. Someone had reached out, I can’t remember who exactly the first time around. I think it actually was Polo Gutierrez, the running backs coach who first reached out to me.
I was excited to get contacted by a Division I school, since I wasn’t recruited out of high school at all. A week after our first game, Larry Coker and Polo Gutierrez flew out to California to check me out and come talk with me and my coaches and see how I was as a student athlete.
I tell you what, man, when Larry Coker walked into that room with that Miami U championship ring, that was literally about it for me. I was like, okay, this guy has a chance to put us on the map and give us a chance to get to the next level. Based off that alone, I knew I had to get that ball rolling. Being as excited as I was, with UTSA offering me my first scholarship, I was like shoot I got to hop on this one. The rest is history.
EM: What was it like for you to come into a program like UTSA that was still pretty much in its infancy? What were your thoughts that first few months you were here in San Antonio?
BP: So, actually, UTSA being a startup was one of the other main reasons I wanted to come here. Because who doesn’t want to be in the history books as being around to start something great? My first impression in going to UTSA and being in San Antonio, oh my gosh, it took me maybe a couple of months to get used to it. Being an Indiana guy, then going to California, then going to Texas in six months was a huge culture change.
I honestly wasn’t a big fan of everything at first. It was too hot, there was never any wind. My first spring there, we had a scrimmage out at Harlandale High School and I think the field was at 108 degrees and I thought why did I come here! I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life! [laughs] Nah, but after that hot weather, it was all love from there. The people are nice, the food is delicious, I can’t forget about that. After that first impression shook off, I consider myself a Texan even now.
EM: Oh yeah, you really can’t prepare for the heat down here, but the tacos make up for it. On the field, what would be one of your favorite memories of playing at UTSA?
BP: My favorite on the field memory? Let me see if I can find something that’s not too crazy. I was just talking to Marcus Davenport about this maybe a year ago. There was an instance in one of our games against Kansas State where I came free in the B-gap on third and long in a passing situation. I beat my guy clean and I’m coming free and Marcus was playing to my left at defensive end and he also comes free. The quarterback saw both of us coming and stepped up into the pocket.
Marcus and I both collided into each other and he literally knocked the wind out of my stomach. I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was gonna die. So, I can’t say to you what I said to Marcus after that, but I was pissed at him. I was mad. But, looking back at it, I have to laugh. I would’ve had two sacks that game against a big ass DI school. You can blame Marcus Davenport for that one.
EM: What is it like for you to now be playing football again back home in Indiana?
BP: Dude, it’s dope. Growing up around here, you would always see everybody wearing Colts jerseys and Colts hats and all that Colts apparel. Now, to be playing for the Colts is unreal. Hopefully, I will get an opportunity to make this my last team. Ten years from now, naw, let’s go 15 years from now, this the team that I will end my career with. I want to solidify my career and make my name in the league right here.
EM: I know you’re crazy busy these days with the hectic schedule of an NFL player, but what are your thoughts on the current state of the program?
BP: Well, I’ve seen that they just had a tough loss to Army, which we all have our down days, unfortunately. UTSA though is a team that has a lot of talent. They have a lot of good vibes and a lot of good will in that town. Being that the program is still new, 2011 wasn’t that long ago, these kids have to know that there is still a lot of potential in that program. There is still a long season to go, hopefully they can pick up a few more W’s and get into a bowl game again.
EM: Last thing for you Brian, what message would you like to relay home to Roadrunner Nation?
BP: No matter what anybody says, from the media, to people in the school, to, you know, residents of the city — whoever — when they say that UTSA is too small to do anything, you look them straight in the eye and say that is a damn lie.
There are so many guys who are in even smaller schools who are making it happen. So, why not UTSA? Why can’t we be a big dog school in a non-power five conference? Feel me? We’ve got a lot of upside at UTSA. Roadrunners keep trucking!
FORUMS: UTSA Boulevard | Roadrunner Way
