JOHNSTON CITY — Wednesday was a day Austin Brown has been waiting for months to get here. The Johnston City senior committed to Wisconsin last July. He made it official, signing with the Badgers.

A standout on both sides of the ball, Brown was heavily recruited as a safety on defense, racking up multiple Big 10 offers among others. He said Wisconsin checked all the boxes.

Indians head football coach Todd Thomas has had a front row seat to see Brown’s impact. Thomas calls Brown a program changer, and the numbers back that up. The Indians were 6-12 Brown’s freshman and sophomore seasons, but won 15 out of 17 games the past two seasons, won two Black Diamond Conference championships, and advanced to the second round of the 2A playoffs this season.

Prior to this season, Heath Neibch transferred in and took over as the Indians’ quarterback, a move that not only freed Brown up to be a weapon all over the field, but it also allowed him to lock in defensively.

With the paperwork signed and all the pictures taken, the two-time all-stater had a chance to reflect on a day that a few years ago wouldn’t have seemed possible–especially for a kid from a small high school in southern Illinois.

Brown will report to Madison in June. He’s considering sports communications or perhaps even sports broadcasting as a major.