The Connection: This one was a cold call. I DM’d Max on Instagram and then followed up with an email. We did attend some of the same training sessions in Los Angeles back in the day but never interacted due to our age gap.
Quote of the Episode: "It was miserable. I had been living a football grind – an absolute grind – for six years. And maybe that’s my fault I wasn’t able to have more fun with it, but for me, it was a six-year process and battle and I had to say, you know what? I want to move forward with life. And there might be some people who say stick with it and go to the UFL and go CFL and all that…But I was just like, genuinely, in my heart, when I look in the mirror I feel like I squeezed everything I could out of football there. And for whatever reason it just wasn’t meant to be. And I want to be happy in life. And there was a lot of struggle there in finding what my identity is and finding what my next career path is. But I, again, can look at myself in the mirror and can be proud of the work I put in to my football career.”
Bet You Didn’t Know: Max was awarded “Weightlifter of the Year” at USC as a sophomore back-up quarterback.
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In this episode of Under the Number, we catch up with Max Browne, former USC and Pittsburgh quarterback and once the nation's top recruit. From his record-setting days at Skyline High School to his journey as a self-proclaimed "bust" in college, Max takes us inside his remarkable football journey.
Growing up in Sammamish, Washington, Max was destined for gridiron greatness. "I was always quarterback Max," he reflects. "I loved it. It felt like a life calling." That calling led him to Skyline, where he broke the school's passing record in his very first start. "Those are my best football memories, straight up."
As the top quarterback recruit in the nation, Max had his pick of blue-blood programs. He chose USC, envisioning a path to the NFL and a future on the West Coast. "When Cody Kessler left, I thought, worst case, I'd have two years to start, a la Mark Sanchez. I'd rather have two successful years at USC than have to re-earn my stripes."
But Max's USC career didn't go according to plan. He lost the starting job to Sam Darnold and found himself in a gut-wrenching conversation with his coach. "It was brutal," he admits. "I cried my eyes out for like an hour."
Max transferred to Pitt for his final year, seeking a fresh start. He had a flawless game against Rice, going 28-for-32 with three drops. "It was just straight relief," he recalls. "Finally, finally." But a shoulder injury cut his season short, and despite a grueling rehab, his NFL dreams never materialized.
Now, Max embraces his identity as a "bust." "It allows me to move forward with life," he explains. "It's not that abrupt of a comment, it's more just kind of matter of fact. If anyone's calling Mark Sanchez a bust, well then, what the hell am I?"
Looking back, Max has no regrets. "I take a lot of pride in how I showed up," he affirms. "Playing football at USC and Pitt was an absolute blessing. But it's just not in me to be super celebratory about those moments, because I felt like I left a lot of meat on the bone."
Tune in for an honest, introspective conversation with a quarterback who owned his story. Like, subscribe, and catch every episode of Under the Number wherever you listen to podcasts!
