Ravens rookie wide receiver Daniel Brown clapped in frustration during a June minicamp when a football glanced off of his hands.
He then caught the next one and each subsequent pass, recovering from the momentary lapse in the undrafted former James Madison standout's quest to beat the odds and earn an NFL roster spot.
With the Ravens' rookies having reported for training camp this week, Brown is determined to climb the depth chart after being signed following a successful rookie minicamp tryout in May.
"There's a point where you have to take someone's job to make a roster," Brown told The Baltimore Sun in a recent interview. "That's kind of my outlook on things. I have to go into training camp and the preseason with the mentality that I have something to prove and take someone's job. It's a business. Either I take someone's job, or I'm jobless."
Brown spent this summer back home in Virginia working out and preparing for a tough competition.
Bigger than the Ravens' other wide receivers -- with the exception of 6-foot-6, 238-pound sixth-round NFL draft pick Darren Waller -- Brown provides a big downfield target at 6-4 1/2 and 230 pounds.
Brown ran the 40-yard dash between 4.52 and 4.58 seconds at his campus Pro Day workout.
He has big hands and long arms (9 7/8-inch hands and 34 1/4-inch arms), had a 9-8 broad jump and a 32-inch vertical leap, bench pressed 225 pounds 11 times and had a 6.88-second three-cone drill and a 4.19-second short shuttle.
Brown contemplated making a move to tight end while getting ready for the NFL, but opted to be a big wide receiver rather than a smaller tight end.
"Throughout college, I've always prided myself on being the more physical receiver and I can bring a lot of size and physicality," Brown said. "I talked with my agent [Landon Betsworth] about if I should put on weight and try to be a tight end, but I ran well enough that it didn't make sense for me to do that. Looking at our defensive ends in minicamp, I definitely think I made the right decision.
"I talked to the special-teams coach [Jerry Rosburg]. I believe I can make an impact on special teams based on my size and decent speed. I don't know how many receivers they'll carry on the roster, but special teams is definitely an option."
Brown caught 42 passes for 606 yards and seven touchdowns last season. As a junior, he had 42 catches for 665 yard and eight touchdowns. He was a dean’s list student.
"I've always prided myself on being a really good route runner," Brown said. "Catching, with the size of my hands, comes pretty naturally."
In the NFL, though, Brown has a lot of work to do to establish himself.
"I feel good," Brown said. "I feel like I have a ways to go. As far as getting the playbook down and making a few plays, I'm pretty happy with what I've done. I talked to a couple of coaches and they've liked what they've seen. It's definitely a confidence-booster."
Brown has the benefit of playing for a former NFL wide receiver. His position coach, Bobby Engram, played in the NFL for 15 seasons and caught 650 career passes for 7,751 yards and 35 touchdowns.
"He's very intelligent," Brown said. "Some players feel like they're at this level and don't need to be coached anymore, but you can learn a lot from him. I have a lot of respect for him. He takes the time to make sure you understand everything.
"Regardless of whether you're a first-round draft pick or a tryout guy, he takes the time to teach everybody the same way. He's very smart and knows his stuff."
Growing up in Virginia, Brown was a first-team all-state selection and an all-conference choice who also played basketball and baseball. He graduated from James Madison last December with a degree in computer information systems.
Brown's immediate plans are focused strictly on fulfilling his dream of making it in the NFL, not thinking about what comes later.
"After football, I haven't really thought about it too much right now because of what I'm doing," Brown said. "My uncle, he owns his own company and he's kind of more of a finance guy and I'm more computer-based. Maybe I'll look in that direction when I'm done playing in the NFL. Right now, I just want to prove myself and make the team."