By Marc Thaler
Managing Sports Editor

Elephants might never forget, but at least one member of the Wolves doesn’t battle memory loss, either.

It doesn’t take much for quarterback Kyle Rowley to recall a particular college football game from five years ago.

Testing my luck, I surprised Rowley with a test of my own before the team boarded a plane to face the Louisville Fire.

The clues were Rowley’s statistics from a difficult setback on Sept. 30, 2001. He completed 36-of-54 passes for 474 yards, tossed two touchdowns and ran for another in a wild 42-38 shootout.

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Surely, I had the signal-caller sacked for a loss – of words. Or so I thought.

“Brown vs. URI,” he said in rapid-fire response.

The late-September contest was for the Governor’s Cup, the annual prize awarded to the victor. Then a Brown senior making just his second college start, Rowley played what he still considers his best game ever.

It’s worth noting Rowley’s premiere performance came against, of all clubs, his father’s alma mater. At the time, the Rams were ranked ninth nationally in Division I-AA.

The Wolves QB tells the tale like it took place last week.

“We had to score almost every time we had the ball because we were down so many and they were such a good offensive team,” he said.

Still, the Bears clawed back.

In a fourth quarter featuring six lead changes, Rowley threw the go-ahead TD pass to current NFL receiver Chas Gessner with 30 seconds remaining. After the Bears were penalized on the extra point, their squib kick positioned the Rams at midfield.

Behind by three points, URI ran plays in preparation for a field-goal attempt.

“Instead of us stopping them, the fullback broke away for a 30-yard touchdown (with seven seconds left),” Rowley said. “It was heartbreaking.”

Though he broke Brown’s single-game passing record, the Rhode Island native said that game is significant in his QB development for a different reason.

It prepared him to play arena football, where the expectation to post points always exists.

“To have a game like that, and a year like that, actually, is probably the reason I’m standing here (in the af2),” Rowley said. “I realized I haven’t even played my best football and that’s what I’m here trying to prove.”

“People long ago probably said to him to get into the real world and make some money, stop chasing those dreams,” said Brown head coach Phil Estes, the former Concord High mentor who led the Crimson Tide to the 1982 Division I title game against Spaulding.

Currently, Rowley is competing with D. Bryant to solidify the top spot on the QB depth chart.

Through two games this season, each signal-caller made a start.

Rowley’s chance was against the Fire on April 14. He tossed four TDs in Manchester’s first win of the year, a 39-34 decision.

Of course, working to earn No. 1 status is nothing new to this 6-foot, 195-pound athlete. In his first three years at Brown, Rowley played behind the Ivy League’s all-time leading passer, James Perry.

The experience of watching another person play the same position taught Rowley a valuable lesson, he said.

An athlete, according to the former Bear, can’t control whether he receives playing time. He can only control his performance on the field.

Clearly, this QB continues to follow that line of thinking first learned in college.

“My memories at Brown are good memories. But right now,” Rowley said with a wide smile, “I’m focused on proving to everyone at Brown that I should’ve been a four-year starter.”

“If the coach is smart, Kyle will start – and he’ll win for them,” Estes said. “Kyle is the kind of guy who believes he’s the only one in the world who can do the job right. And everyone else should get the hell out of his way.”