Gritty role player. That is the sort of thing you think of with baseball or, if in football, a fullback or a backup lineman or something. You wouldn't think a little speedy pass catcher would fit the mold.
However, SB Nation's Danny Kelly puts Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown into that category -- one of the NFL's grittiest role players.
Kelly defines such players as neither stars on a national level nor key go-to players on their team. That makes sense.
Here is what he said about Brown:
Playing behind Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, it can't be easy to rack up a bunch of targets, but John Brown burst onto the scene as a rookie for Arizona, catching 48 passes for 696 yards and five touchdowns.