after playing all 16 games during the 1998 and 1999 seasons, he spent the 2000 season out of football after his contract with the packers was not renewed. before the 2001 training camp, he worked out and lived for a time with fred roll, his former strength and conditioning coach at the university of kansas, and subsequently returned to green bay for training camp in july at a perceptibly more svelte 339 pounds — and once again equipped with his former quickness. he was re-signed by the packers on march 23, 2001, after which brown announced, "if i didn’t think i could do this anymore, i wouldn't be here".