Joey Batson has been around countless college football players over the past 35 years.

As a collegiate strength and conditioning coach, he's seen players grind in the weight room and on the practice field. Per Clemson's website, he's coached 68 All-Americans and 20 first-round draft picks during his 25 years with the Tigers.

On a visit to Clemson, Sammy Brown heard about the toughest player Batson ever worked with. Not a future NFL All-Pro, but Brown's own father Mike, back during Batson's days at Furman University.

It's that standard of toughness Brown is now striving to reach as one of the top prospects in the 2024 class.

The elder Brown played at Furman from 1992-96. He recorded 92 total tackles and eight sacks over his career as an outside linebacker/defensive end for the Paladins.

His career left quite the mark on Batson. The two remained friends over the years, even as Brown began his coaching career in Georgia.

That toughness now shows up in his son Sammy's game. He plays both linebacker and running back for the Jefferson Dragons. When asked, he said he prefers laying a big hit on a ball carrier rather than trucking a defender.

"It definitely shows up in how I run the ball, how I tackle, that physicality part of the game," Brown said.

As a freshman at Commerce High School, the Tigers turned to Brown in their biggest game of the year. He handled around 20 carries and rushed for over 200 yards in a 25-21 playoff loss to Irwin County.

Mike Brown left Commerce this offseason to take a job as the offensive line coach at Jefferson. His son followed and has excelled in 2021 as a two-way star for the Dragons.

Throughout the transition, Brown's father has continued to emphasize physical play and effort.

"If you go out there and you’re physical and you give as much effort as you can give, then you’re going to be good, no matter who you are," Brown said.

That effort, Brown said, comes from a natural love of the game. Football has been central in the Brown household as far back as he can remember.

At times, that cut down on Brown's time with his dad. Being a head coach, Mike Brown often spent many late nights at Commerce.

Brown joined his father's team in 2020. While there were some practices where his dad "would chew my butt out," things were always normal when they got home.

The two are together once again this year at Jefferson. Even though the elder Brown coaches a different position, they still team up for weekly film sessions every Sunday.

While his father is a large figure in Brown's present, he's also helping his son navigate the future as well. Brown is already emerging as one of the top prospects in the 2024 class with offers from Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, among others.

Brown said having a coach for a dad is very beneficial while going through the recruiting process. His father can ask questions from a slightly different point of view, operating with a mindset his son doesn't have.

"He’s going to help me be able to make these decisions that might be really tough on me by myself," Brown said. "It’s really good to have him there to help me make these decisions and help me look at these places with a better field of view, because it’s hard to look at a place by yourself without having anyone else to kind of give their opinion about it."

The elder Brown often spends time on visits talking ball with the team's coaches. On a visit to Georgia earlier this summer, he spoke with Bulldog defensive coordinator Dan Lanning for nearly an hour.

When they leave visits, Brown's father will pepper him with questions. He'll ask whether his son noticed certain things at the school regarding the environment or the coaches.

"He kind of talks about the coaches and how they do things," Brown said. "He kind of talks about how they do, not what they do."

A decision isn't imminent for Brown, although favorites are starting to emerge. He's visited Georgia, Clemson, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Auburn already this fall for games. Brown also hopes to take in games at Ohio State and Virginia Tech before the end of the season.

His process will take some time before Brown commits. When he does, he'll have made a well-informed decision with the help of the former player and coach he calls Dad.