Opponent spotlight | No Buddy to Bears’ opponents

In sports, nicknames are most often used to intimidate and inspire fear.

Not so for Brown senior wide receiver Mark Raymond Farnham, who is known to fans and opponents as “Buddy.”

Farnham is anything but friendly on the field, where he has racked up 560 total yards in the Bears’ last two games, including a stellar 309-yard masterpiece in a 34-17 win over Princeton Oct.17.

This contradiction comes from the fact that Farnham’s nickname has absolutely nothing to do with football.

“Since I was born, my parents started calling me Buddy,” Farnham said. “They should have just named me Buddy.”

The need for the nickname comes from the fact that Farnham shares a name with his father, Mark Farnham Sr., who himself was a standout receiver for the Bears.

Farnham’s parents needed something else to call him, so they settled on Buddy.

So not only does Farnham need to live up to his name, but also to his father’s excellence at wideout.

And he knows this.

“In my whole life I have grown up and wanted to come to Brown, wear No. 46 and be like my dad,” Farnham said. “It’s like living a dream.”

So far this season, Farnham’s dream has been everyone else’s nightmare.

The native of Andover, Mass., has helped lead Brown past a disappointing 0-2 start to four straight wins.

In doing so, he has compiled an astounding 692 receiving yards and six touchdowns while making an assault on the Brown and Ivy League record books.

His 309 yards is the seventh-best single-game total in Ancient Eight history.

That astounding number included an 80-yard touchdown reception, good for fifth-longest ever by a Bears player.

Farnham has helped keep the Brown offense on a roll, but he recognizes that he’s not doing it by himself. Any time he’s double-teamed or pressured, Farnham feels confident that one of his buddies from the Brown receiving corps can pick up the slack.

“If I am getting double covered, that’s going to open stuff up for the other receivers,” Farnham said. “Our other receivers are great, too.”

This is definitely true.

Two other Bears pass-catchers have at least 340 yards receiving this season: Bobby Sewall has 345 and Trevan Stamp has 342.

But Farnham is undoubtedly first among equals, mainly because of his spectacular return abilities.

His 92-yard run back on the second half’s opening kickoff against Princeton — good for 11th-longest in Brown history — proved that Farnham is a double, if not triple, threat.

He can catch the ball, he can set up his offense so that his quarterback can get him the ball more easily and, oh yeah, he can even run: Farnham gained nine yards on his one carry against the Tigers.

All these abilities, combined with a burning desire to win, make Farnham Brown coach Phil Estes’ best buddy.

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