Captains Q&As – Cullen Brown
12/21/2025 5:45:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cullen Brown is a senior defenseman and captain for the Ohio State men's lacrosse team. Brown is the program's single season caused turnover record holder, forcing 34 turnovers last year. He is second among all-time Buckeyes with 59 caused turnovers in the last three seasons for Ohio State.
Brown, a Silver Spring, Md. native, earned USILA All-America honors in 2025 and is an All-Big Ten and Big Ten Tournament Team member. He returns to help lead the Buckeyes defensive unit that ranked top 10 in goals against average last season.
Learn more about Cullen:
What age did you start playing lacrosse?
"I started playing lacrosse when I was seven years old. I remember my dad took me up the street to this organization called the Silver Spring Warriors. We went to a practice, watched them practice and I sort of really found the love. He put me on the team and then kind of grew my love from there and started playing ever since that moment."
What's your favorite thing about the sport?
"I think my favorite thing about the sport of lacrosse is the creativity. It's very unscripted compared to other sports. I think some of the best players are the most creative players. There's a lot of like creative leeway on the way that people play. There's not one right way to pass, not one right way to shoot, not one right way to play defense, and everybody has their own sort of style. You really see people's athletic styles come out in the way they play lacrosse."
Why did you choose to come to Ohio State?
"I chose to come to Ohio State for a couple of reasons. First, I always dreamed of going to a big state school and playing lacrosse there, so right off the bat, Ohio State ticked that box. Then, when I came on campus for my visits, I felt the love immediately from the coaching staff, from the team. When you're on campus, as an actual player, you feel that brotherhood and what it really means to come to Ohio State. Finally, being able to represent such a big athletic program is something that I really wanted to do. Ohio State is world renowned for a reason, and representing it and wearing this scarlet and gray is something that I dreamed about for sure."
How have you seen yourself grow in your time at Ohio State?
"I've had a lot of personal growth, in sport and off the field in the sport. Working with our coaching staff, Coach Myers and Coach Crane on the defensive end, they've taught me so much about the sport and I think every year I've just gotten better and better. My IQ has grown more and more every year on and off the field and it's really been the best decision of my life. I've grown more in these past three and a half years than I have in a full 21 years, and I really credit that to the experience that Ohio State gives me both academically and support wise to just chase my goals."
What makes Ohio State special?
"What makes Ohio State special is the support that we get. Support from the school, support that you get from the people in the athletic department and obviously your teammates supporting you. The support really makes it special. You never feel like you're alone. Sometimes at a big school the tendency to feel alone is there, but at Ohio State, the support you get from teammates, from coaches and from support staff is second to none. We have the best resources in all of college lacrosse."
What is something not everyone knows about you?
"I can do a couple of card magic tricks. I was super interested in magic when I was in middle school, so I learned how to do a bunch of card tricks."
What has been your favorite thing you've been a part of off the field in your time at Ohio State?
"It would definitely have to be the Big Ten Life Series trip to Selma, Alabama. I learned about the heart of the civil rights movement and the ceremonial cross of the Edmund Pettus Bridge to signify the end of the civil rights movement. That was something that was super cool, and sponsored by the Big Ten, that I was able to do and learn about the history of my people."
What is your favorite Ohio State tradition?
"My favorite Ohio State tradition is 'Hang on Sloopy.'"
What excites you about the 2026 season?
" What excites me about the 2026 season is how many opportunities we have. We pride ourselves on being a top team, and the only way to get better is challenging yourself with a good competition, so I'm excited about the challenges we have coming up in 2026, and beyond."
#GoBucks
