After traveling the country and making appearances on “CNN Headline News” and “Fox and Friends,” it’d be hard not to develop an overblown sense of self. It’s pretty much expected of you when you’re a young football recruit courting various colleges. Just don’t tell that to Xavier Nixon and Bryce Brown. Both players will display their skills at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on January 3.While a countrywide press tour would seem overwhelming, a confident Brown and Nixon sat in a windowless room at the All Mobile Video Chelsea Television Studios in Manhattan to reflect on their first trip to the Big Apple.

“It’s not like my hometown. It’s a good learning experience,” said Brown, a native of Wichita, Kansas. “It really makes me appreciate where I’m from.” Nixon, of Fayetteville, N.C., expressed similar sentiments in shorter form. “This city is real fast paced,” he said. Nixon is regarded by scouts as a D’Brickishaw Ferguson type of tackle who makes up for lack of size with fast feet and proper technique. The feet and technique are also products of quick thinking, and Nixon’s parents have undoubtedly contributed to that. His mother and father are both military officers. When asked who takes care of him in the states when his parents are elsewhere, Nixon said the situation stays in house.

“My parents have been stationed overseas at the same time only once,” responded Nixon. “My grandmother takes care of me.” Nixon hasn’t decided on where he’ll attend college, but Florida, Norte Dame, Florida State, Louisiana State University and the University of Miami are high on the list.

Brown, one of the top high school running backs in the country, verbally committed to the Miami Hurricanes earlier this year, but don’t let the reputation of his school of choice fool you. He’s humbled by his experiences and never forgets the lessons that his parents have told him. “Not everything will go my way,” said Brown. “With patience comes knowledge.”

“Always be a leader and a role model,” added Nixon. “It’s about doing all the right things when nobody is watching.”

While both young men looked forward to tasting real New York pizza and shopping at Niketown, Brown had another high-priority task in mind. “I’m going shopping for a girlfriend,” he said with a chuckle.