Daquawn Brown explains how he got the nickname 'Cheetah'

Daquawn Brown probably has the biggest expectations on him this year than any other player in the WSU secondary. We had a minute to talk with Daquawn after a practice in Lewiston to ask him how he got the nickname 'Cheetah' and about being a leader on the team.

CougCenter: Daquawn, how has camp been going for you so far?

Brown: The camp has been going well so far. I feel like I am getting better each and every day. These receivers give me a run for my money. You have to go day-by-day out here. It's hot, but we have no distractions so we just focus on getting better each and every day.

CougCenter: How much better do you think you are than you were last year?

Brown: I'm way better than I was last year. I got bigger, stronger, faster. You can't go down from last year. I can only get better. I took my game to another level this offseason, so I will be better this year.

CougCenter: All your teammates call you Cheetah, how did you get that nickname?

Brown: I actually got that name when I was little about the age of six. I was actually named 'Cheetah Cat.' As I got older, the 'Cat' went away so people just call me 'Cheetah' now. I played running back at the time and I was our fastest player so my coach just called me "Cheetah Cat." He said I was fast like a cheetah and could move and had the reactions of a cat.

CougCenter: You're one of several players from Southern California. You were (high school) teammates with Jeremiah Allison. Are there any other teammates that you were familiar with before you arrived at WSU?

Brown: It's actually crazy. Jeremiah and I have played on the same team every year since I was little. Since I was six, he has been on my team every season. So we went 11-12 seasons on the same team. That's like a lifelong teammate. Other than that, at camps I have worked with Robert Lewis, Gabe Marks, and Kache (Palacio), who was actually on my team. We were in a lot of 7-on-7 tournaments.

CougCenter: A lot of people are singling you out as one of the better defensive backs on the team. There is a lot of competition for spots, but you seem pretty solid in where you are at. Do you feel like a leader on this team?

Brown: Yeah, I feel that I am very vocal and that's what we were missing in the past couple of years. I'm not scared to talk out there. I hardly have my mouthpiece in so you hear me almost every play. I just like having fun out there. I make sure my teammates are having fun and everybody is calm and collected.

CougCenter: How has the camp been going? Who's your roommate?

Brown: My roommate is River Cracraft. That's my boy. We came in together. He's from Cali too. That's been my guy every since I got here. We were the only two freshman that traveled last year too.

CougCenter: So it's a myth that wide receivers and freshman can't get along?

Brown: Yeah, that's a myth.