Browns Leaders Discuss Jim Brown's Legacy
It's been almost a month since the tragic passing of Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown, but the NFL hall of famer is still on the mind of many current Browns players.
It's more than understandable, considering the impact Brown had on the Cleveland organization, NFL, and really the country as a whole. Brown never wavered in his support of Cleveland, and always seemed like he was around the organization, doing what he could to provide guidance to younger players and do what he could to bring winning football back to Cleveland -- which makes it no surprise many current players are still mourning.
Last week brought comments from a few notable Browns players on Brown and his impact on the team, with Joel Bitonio being asked about his thoughts on his passing as someone who has been with the Browns for almost ten years now. Bitonio described the passing of Brown as "obviously heartbreaking," before continuing to expand. " He really meant so much to the organization and the city of Cleveland. We watched a little video today that Coach [Kevin] Stefanski put out. Just for sports and social justice and all those things for his whole life, really. He’s been around the team since I got drafted. I remember he’d fly with the team when I was young, when he was a little bit healthier and stuff. And we got to see him a little bit last year, but he lived a full life, and it was obviously a sad day."
When asked if he could recall the first time he met Brown, Bitonio candidly responds with "not vividly," but says " I mean, obviously, I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, it’s Jim Brown.' You know what I mean? But I don’t remember the first conversation. But he was so open to talking to guys and to just having a conversation. If he was sitting at dinner or after a meeting or something like that, you could really ask him any questions you wanted, and he was there just to try and help the team out or guys out however way possible."
Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett was also asked last week about Brown and his impact on his career personally and how he was impacted by his passing. "Jim Brown was everything here," he began in his response before continuing, "At the end of the day, he was the very first person that called me to tell me that I was coming here and that they were glad to have me be a Cleveland Brown and be a part of this organization. And that still means a lot to me, because that’s as great as it gets as a football player, as a man, as a spokesman for inequality for civil rights, he’s done it all. I think he’s been the blueprint. He’s been the role model for a lot of us as players and as men. So we look up to him. We’re very sad about his passing and we still are going to try and do our best for him."
While he has been around the Browns organization the fewest years in comparison to Garrett and Bitonio, it would be easy to assume that perhaps no one had more in common with Brown than running back Nick Chubb. Both were from Georgia, drafted by the Browns, and of course played the running back position. Chubb echoed the sentiments of Garrett and Bitonio, describing his passing as "horrible news" for the Browns as an organization, and the entirety of the United States.
Aside from their similarities in their NFL position and where they were born, Brown also was a driving force in the Browns selecting Chubb in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft. As the story goes, the organization sent Brown some tape of Chubb and he loved the film and pushed then-General Manager John Dorsey to draft him. "Joe Sheehan has been telling me that story since I got here. I never believed him until I got a text from Dorsey telling me that it was true after he passed away. Just hearing that, it was a blessing. He saw something in me and it’s special," Chubb recalls. "I’m definitely playing for him from here on out."
"The most impactful thing is probably just stand for what you believe in," Chubb says when further discussing Brown and what he learned most from him. "He was a strong man. He stood for a lot of things and he was himself. I think that’s the biggest thing I take from it. Just always be true to yourself."
While the Browns have yet to announce what their plan is to honor the late running back this upcoming year, Bitonio, Garrett, and Chubb all acknowledged they hope the organization does something -- which surely they will. But regardless, with Chubb declaring that he will be playing for Brown from here on out, his legacy and impact will continue to be as strong as ever in Cleveland.
