Inspiring legacy: UAB football legend defies vision challenges to triumph on the field

Jermaine "Skull" Brown Jr.
Credits: UAB AthleticsIn 2017, Jermaine "Skull" Brown Jr. was on vacation with his family in Cancun when he realized his left eye's vision was deteriorating. Although his family took him to eye clinics, his blurry vision worsened and soon affected his football career.

Brown, a Prichard, Alabama, native, did not let the blurriness in his eye obscure his passion for football. He continued as a quarterback for his high school. Things changed when he became a receiver for the University of Alabama at Birmingham football team.

"Luckily, as the quarterback, I didn't have to worry about seeing the ball as much," Brown said. "However, as a receiver for UAB, it was hard to catch the ball -- my vision kept me from performing how I would have liked."

Brown's athletic trainer, Dan Springer, realized his trouble seeing and immediately contacted UAB Eye Care to provide him with a thorough exam through BlazerVision, a partnership between UAB Athletics and the School of Optometry and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences that offers all student-athletes comprehensive eye care, acute game-time care and state-of-the-art concussion baseline testing.

Diagnosing vision problems in the visionary player's eyes

To ensure athletes' vision is game-ready, athletic trainers send all players who need a comprehensive eye exam to UAB Eye Care. They prioritize athletes who they believe have an issue, which was the case with Brown.

Kathy Weise, O.D., founder of BlazerVision and director of Pediatric Optometry Services at UAB Eye Care, examined Brown and determined that he was legally blind in his left eye.

"Within fivKathy Weise, O.D. and Brown snap a selfie together during treatment at UAB Eye Care.e minutes of Jermaine's eye exam, I could tell something was wrong with his eyes, and within about 30 minutes, I knew we could help," Weise said. "Jermaine could not see the 'E' on the Snellen eye chart farther than 3 feet away, registering his vision acuity to 20/2800. Without treatment, the blurry vision in his left eye limited his depth perception and could have created a blind side."

Weise's further examinations revealed that Brown's left eye had a warped cornea. Soon after, she diagnosed him with keratoconus, a condition wherein the cornea thins and becomes misshapen.

"For me to 'be,' I had to 'see,'" Brown said. "The UAB staff took me in without hesitation and allowed me to get more comfortable."

Regaining sight through treatment

After consulting her colleagues and contact lens experts at UAB Eye Care, Weise prescribed specialized scleral lenses to Brown. These lenses are customized according to the patient's needs and eye condition. The new lenses provided Brown with clearer vision by acting as a new surface for his cornea.

"Jermaine's vision improved dramatically," Weise said. "With the scleral lens, his vision is almost normal. His side vision is restored when wearing the contact lens, giving him better awareness on the field."

Brown corrected his vision during his freshman year, and since then, he has led an exceptionally successful athletic and academic career, for whichBrown corrected his vision during his freshman year, and since then, he has led an exceptionally successful athletic and academic career.
Credits: UAB Athleticshe thanks Weise.

"I was able to see clearer, and it allowed me to perform better as an athlete," Brown said. "I am thankful to everyone at UAB Eye Care, but especially Dr. Weise. She is the best and always treated me like family."

Brown, in his senior year during 2023 at UAB, broke a record with more than 5,026 all-purpose offensive yards. He was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week and was listed on the Week 10 Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll as one of the nation's most versatile players.

"The corrected vision did wonders for me beyond my imagination; my peripheral eyesight got better, and I could see the ball and defenders better," Brown said. "God blessed me with a skill, and I wanted to do my best for my friends and family."

New vision, new victories

After regaining sight, Brown played five seasons for UAB and blossomed as a career leader in all-purpose yards. He became one of three UAB student-athletes to record over 3,000 career all-purpose yards. By the end of his career as a Blazer, he had 30 rushing touchdowns to his name.

This season, Brown is back as an offensive quality control coach to give back to his alma mater program.
Credits: UAB AthleticsIn the 2023 season, Brown led the American Athletic Conference with 129.5 all-purpose yards per game. He registered 13 total touchdowns, 808 rushing yards, 416 receiving yards and 331 returning yards.

Brown's journey as a Blazer has not ended yet. This season, he is back as an offensive quality control coach for running backs to give back to his alma mater program in new ways.

"I feel great at UAB -- this is my home," Brown said. "UAB taught me a lot on and off the field, and through this new role, I look forward to helping the younger generation grow and learn."

UAB Athletics is also thrilled to have Brown back.

"Jermaine is a true Blazer legend, and we are excited to welcome him back to the sidelines as an offensive quality control coach," said UAB Football head coach Trent Dilfer. "Jermaine had an incredible playing career at UAB, and he can now pour his knowledge and experience into our current players to help them reach their full potential."

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