Eyes on Longhorns: Porter Brown looks back at eye modeling career

In his first season in burnt orange, Brown has made a major impact with his glove and bat. A number of outfield assists and a .325 batting average with 45 RBIs have helped Texas stay in the hunt for the Big 12 regular season championship.

AUSTIN (KXAN) - As Texas baseball nears the end of the regular season, they'll eye postseason success that the program is used to achieving. A key cog in the Longhorns lineup all year has been TCU transfer Porter Brown.

In his first season in burnt orange, Brown has made a major impact with his glove and bat. A number of outfield assists and a .325 batting average with 45 RBIs have helped Texas stay in the hunt for the Big 12 regular season championship.

It's been an outstanding season, one worthy of some compliments. And he sure has been getting some praise, just not always for baseball.

"I've heard it so many times," said Brown of people mentioning his eyes. "I feel so bad. I'm like 'Oh thank you, that's so nice and so sweet.'"

The star outfielder was playing baseball as an 11-year-old when his teammate's mom, who worked at Visionworks, had an idea.

"She noticed 'his eyes are perfect for eyeglass modeling,'" said Brown. "So she contacted her company, showed them my face and they agreed."

Brown, a San Antonio native, was then flown out a couple of times to model eyewear in Dallas. Thousands of pictures were taken and one was selected to be hung up in the store. The photo was of Brown smiling wearing fake glasses and holding a skateboard behind his head.

"There was hesitation because when I was younger I thought modeling was more for, I don't know, models," said Brown. "And I definitely wasn't a model. I was just an 11-year-old kid."

He remembered being on the receiving end of some jokes for modeling as a preteen, but Brown thought it was cool to have his picture up in the store.

Green is the color the Longhorns outfielder considers his own eyes but they've been called a multitude of things. Regardless, they don't always get to see the light of day on the playing field.

"I have sensitive eyes when it comes to light too," said Brown. "So I just always wear sunglasses pretty much everywhere I go because I think everything is too bright."

It's been about a decade since the short-lived modeling phase for Brown, but the flame of that part of his career may still not be out.

"Right now, I think I'd be a little busy with my schedule, but I would definitely do it," said Brown. "When I was done they were like, 'You need to build a portfolio and take your modeling career to the next level,' and I was like I'll just stick with baseball."

Brown and Texas are set to host Big-12 leading West Virginia at UFCU Disch-Falk field. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday.