Former Mullen linebacker tackling the challenges of a first-year elementary school principal
LITTLETON — As a linebacker for Colorado State University from 2007 to 2010, Dr. Rick Brewer knew how to analyze a situation in front of him.
Now, as a first-year principal at Ute Meadows Elementary School in Littleton the 36-year-old in using those same tools he used on the football field when he led the Rams with 105 tackles his senior season.
“I think my experience as a former team captain at Colorado State and a leader of 110 guys who are all pushing toward the same mission helped me. College guys can get wayward. I was able to lead that crew,” said Brewer, who was hired by Jeffco Public Schools in the Spring of 2024 to become the new principal at Ute Meadows in South Jeffco. “Leading educated professionals that want to do good things for kids, this is like second nature.”
Brewer is a Denver native that attended Mullen High School before going onto Colorado State. He played football for legendary coach Dave Logan and ran track under coach John Hancock at Mullen.
“They are really two great coaches,” Brewer said of Hancock and Logan. “They were really influential in my development. Academically, I had some of the best teachers you can imagine at that time. They pushed me.”
While Brewer majored in economics at CSU, he volunteered in student government, elementary schools and special education programs in Fort Collins.
“I started pursuing my passion for education at that time,” Brewer said.
After a brief stint in the NFL after signing a free-agent contract with the Miami Dolphins, Brewer felt it was time to move on fully into the education system. He started as a paraprofessional, went to graduate school at Metro State University before getting his doctorate in higher education administration with a concentration in special education from the University of Denver.
Brewer worked his way to school leadership quickly. One stop was at Kennedy High School where he served as assistant principal, special education director and athletic director all at the same time.
“That was challenging,” Brewer said. “But it prepared me for what came next.”
Brewer went back to the neighborhood he grew up in and worked at Montbello High School when it reopened in 2022. From there, it was onto Jeffco Public Schools where Brewer became a principal for the first time.
“I was head-to-head against six very high-qualified candidates. There is no doubt there are tremendously talented principals here in Jeffco,” Brewer said. “They were so talented. I was thinking to myself if one of them get the job they could bring me on as an AP (assistant principal) and I would be happy to be there.”
Brewer wouldn’t have to worry about that. He was named the new principal and his hit the ground running at Ute Meadows.
“Ute Meadows is my home. This community has welcomed me,” Brewer said. “For now the number one goal is to be the best principal I can be here at Ute Meadows. My career aspirations, of course I want to be on the top one day.”
Balancing all the information is what Brewer said has been his biggest challenge as a principal.
“You are talking budget, safety, instruction, culture, discipline, human resources and all the other things that go with it,” Brewer said. “The day-to-day operation of keeping your team together.”
While the challenges are many, Brewer points out that it takes a team to have success.
“When you have the level of support I’ve had in Jeffco between Samantha Hollman (Associate Chief of Schools), Tracy Dorland (Superintendent at Jeffco Public Schools), along with my front office team and assistant principal Lindsay Erickson, I think the sky is the limit,” Brewer said. “I have truly an experience staff. They are rockstars at their craft. Without them it would be 10-times more difficult. They believe in the mission.”
Passion for football remains
Brewer has had a weekend gig over the past four years.
“I’m going to be doing radio for as long as they’ll have me,” Brewer said of working as the color analyst on CSU’s football radio broadcasts. “My passion is calling games, watching some good football and analyzing it.”
Brewer works with Brian Roth, veteran play-by-play announcer and Director of Broadcasting for Rams Sports Properties, for all CSU football games.
“It feels like two different realms,” Brewer said of his two jobs. “But really as a commentator you are analyzing a situation and speaking about it. The same thing as a principal. The only difference is I’m not wearing a headset when I’m in this building (Ute Meadows).”
One goal for Brewer has been to announce a game with his former high school football coach. Logan has been the play-by-play announcer for the Denver Broncos for nearly 30 years.
“Dave Logan is my guy. I admire him and look up to him,” Brewer said. “I want to be just like that guy.”
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