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The San Francisco 49ers traded up for their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Ji'Ayir Brown from Penn State 87th overall.

Keep reading to learn more about San Francisco's newest safety.

Ji'Ayir a.k.a. "Tig"

Originally from Trenton, New Jersey, Brown grew up with the nickname "Tig."

"It started from Winnie the Pooh," Brown said. "When I was a baby, I used to bounce around a lot, not even a year old on my mom's lap, and she started calling me Tigger the Tiger. As I got older, it started to stick with me, and I just like, 'You know what? Let's chop a couple of letters off, call me Tig.'

"Everybody start calling me Tig and it's just been like my real name. It's been a substitute for my real name since I was a baby."

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Before Brown joined a Division-I program, the safety spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Lackawanna Community College.

Brown contributed to a Falcons team that made an appearance in the 2019 NJCAA Championship Game with a 10-1 record. He was also selected as the Northeast Football Conference's Defensive Player of the Year, named first-team All-NEFC and chosen for NJCAA All-America first team as a sophomore.

"Your character is the only thing that's going to get you out," Brown said. "I just happen to be one of the kids with great character, great work ethic and the core of me was always just a hard worker. That's my core. I work hard at anything I do and that's my Lackawanna story."

Penn State Career

Over the three seasons Brown played at Penn State, the safety recorded 153 tackles (nine for loss), 19 passes defended, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Following the 2022 season, Brown was named Penn State's team MVP and winner of the Iron Lion Award.

"Undeniable Coverage Instincts"

At the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Brown ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds, along with a 32.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 9 feet, 11 inches.

At Penn State's pro day, Brown recorded a 40 time of 4.57 seconds.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein described Brown as "a fiery run defender and plays with undeniable coverage instincts."

Off the Field

At Penn State, Brown majored Telecommunications.

Following his career as an athlete, Brown aspires to be a sports analyst.

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