Levi Brown opened the regular season as the third string quarterback for the Troy Trojans behind Jamie Hampton and Tanner Jones, but Brown was the Trojan who was named the 2008 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year last week.

Brown was not focused on individual accomplishments during his tenure as the starting quarterback for the Trojans.

“It has not been something I have been thinking about,” Brown said. “It is a good bonus, but what I was really thinking about was winning the conference and going to a bowl.”

Brown and 13 other Trojans made the All-Sun Belt First and Second teams. Two other players were named honorable mention and head coach Larry Blakeney was named Coach of the Year.

Blakeney said Newcomer of the Year was a no-brainer this year, and that is not just because it is his guy.

“Levi deserves everything they gave him,” Blakeney said. “He stepped into a tough situation and proved he was a starting quarterback in this league and did a heck of a job for his teammates and Troy University. I am very proud of him. That was a good category fit for him.”

Brown set school records for most pass completions in a game with 40 against North Texas and had another record with 72 attempts against LSU. He filled in for the Trojans when Hampton went down with a knee injury.

Brown was excited to get the award, but he was more excited about getting the bid to play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Dec. 21 in the Louisiana Superdome against the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.

“I was excited to get the award, but my goals were always more team oriented out there on the field,” Brown said.

Brown said he realizes that without his teammates none of what he has accomplished would be possible and he would love to thank them.

“The offensive line played the biggest role in getting this award,” he said. “They gave me all day to sit back there and throw. Of course I had our receivers out there catching the ball well, and pretty much everybody else involved with the team did a great job. This was definitely a team effort and (the award) speaks for the whole team, not just me.”

Brown has completed 167-of-271 passes in seven starts so far this year for 1,711 yards. He has 14 touchdowns and three interceptions with an average of 244 yards per game.