ISU running back Tyler Brown has left the ISU football program, ISU spokesperson Mike Green confirmed Tuesday. 

After entering the season as Iowa State’s starting running back, Brown lost the job to freshman Mike Warren, who ended up leading all NCAA freshman backs with 1,339 rushing yards, early in the season. 

Entering the 2015 season, Brown was the most experienced running back on the ISU football team, logging 24 college carries for 109 yards. The ISU football team received a lot of criticism for its inexperience in the back field. 

“I love it,” Brown said. “There isn’t really any other way that I would have it. I always play better with a chip on my shoulder and this is something to prove. That’s the best feeling you can have, when you prove someone else wrong and prove yourself right.”

Brown, a redshirt freshman in 2015, started against Northern Iowa in the team’s season opener, but couldn’t get anything going, gaining 68 yards — his highest mark as a Cyclone — on 11 carries. He also broke off his career-rush for 34 yards in the game. 

He started second game of the season, against Iowa. Brown rushed nine times for 19 yards. The team had 63 yards on the ground in the loss. There were rumblings that Brown had an aching knee after playing the Hawkeyes. The next week Warren took the starting job.  

Warren ran for 126 yards against Toledo in week three and eventually won the Big 12 Rookie of the Year award. Brown fell to third string behind Warren and another freshman, Joshua Thomas. 

Brown finished the season with 24 carries for 94 yards. He played in six games, starting two.