Myles Garrett As The Dark Knight
A young man having a bad day needed to get his phone replaced only to find he didn't have the money. Feeling defeated, he was surprised to find Myles Garrett there, volunteering to pay off the balance and give him a break. In response to a tweet about a Browns fan's family who lost everything in a house fire as they had just welcomed a new baby into the world, Garrett drove three and a half hours to show up and surprise the family, gifts in hand.
Those are a couple of examples of acts by the Cleveland Browns defensive end that have endeared him to a fanbase as well as a community. There is no shortage of people who revile Garrett for the actions he took against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, hitting him with his helmet, resulting in a season-ending suspension. Many who love the Browns see a kindhearted man who made an awful mistake that will stick with him the rest of his life. And as much as everyone was stunned and horrified by the event, the person Garrett has often shown himself to be away from the football field is what has allowed fans to accept him despite the egregious misstep. It's easy to view Garrett as a villain, but for those people whose lives he's touched, he is a hero; a hero with a fateful flaw.
115 dollars isn't a significant amount of money to Garrett, especially considering the contract extension he's poised to sign with the Browns, but it was a significant amount of money to the young man who needed a break in that moment. A family that should've been celebrating the birth of a new child was instead reeling from the tragedy of losing their home. Giving up a day was a small gesture for Garrett by contrast, but it was everything to them in that moment.
Garrett isn't stopping street crime, foiling bank robberies or leaving criminals tied up for the police to find and arrest.
At least not yet.
So far as the public knows.
His physical prowess might flirt with possessing super powers, but Garrett is just a guy who sees opportunities, often right in front of him, to step up and make differences in the lives of people, basically saying, "Why not me?"
Garrett didn't seek out credit in either case. It only drew notice when the people impacted by his kind gestures posted them on social media and it grew organically. Cynicism may naturally lead some to assume that Garrett is doing these deeds to buy good will in an effort to rehab his image, especially in the wake of his suspension, but that's never been the way he's operated. He's not trying to build or formulate a brand.
Garrett has always marched to the beat of his own drum and people have always had a difficult time figuring out who he is, how he's wired. While in consideration for the top overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, some criticized Garrett for having outside interests and not coming off like a typical jock. He didn't eat, drink and sleep football in the same way as many others. Because he liked to write poetry, listen to Marvin Gaye and really liked dinosaurs, maybe he wasn't passionate enough about football and it would prevent him from being among the best.
It went as far as insane theories that Garrett might get bored of football and retire simply because he was intelligent enough to have thoughts on other topics. And perhaps, if he opts for a life of fighting crime, he could. Nevertheless, he seems to have struck the delicate balance of being one of the best defensive players in football who also can occasionally learn new things, write poetry and listen to music.
The truest sense of who Garrett is might be listening to him argue with his college friends about basketball and anime while playing Fortnite. A self-described old head, he's got really strong opinions about basketball, having at least considered going that route coming out of high school. Garrett has said that Oklahoma tried to get him to play basketball for them. He and his friends argue new school against old school, various matchups and busting balls along the way. His general wisdom and how he typically carries himself belie his age, but when he's arguing about sports, and the stuff he watches, he sounds like a guy in his early 20s.
None of this is to suggest that anyone should forgive or forget what Garrett did, going into an almost blind rage and the actions he took. That's entirely up to the individual. It only highlights that Garrett is far more than that one act, however reprehensible it might have been and how much more damage it could've done.
In the wake of the brawl and suspension during the season, Garrett didn't hide or simply get away from it. He immediately went out and did charity work in an effort to help the poor for Thanksgiving, answering some uncomfortable questions in the process. However sizable Garrett's issues might have been in that moment, there were people in his community that had it far worse than he did and he was unwilling to simply stand on the sideline, feeling sorry for himself.
After Waterboys, the organization founded by Chris Long with the aim of bringing clean drinking water for areas in need, made the decision to stand by Garrett, he accompanied Long to Tanzania in February. Perhaps that was somewhat of a reprieve, going to Africa where people only saw him for donating his time and energy to a worthwhile cause and may have been completely unaware of the incident that led to his suspension. The efforts by Waterboys were life-changing to the community in Tanzania and yet the trip might have done almost as much for Garrett, allowing him to put everything in perspective.
Now, as Garrett prepares for the 2020 season, he now exists as a walking dichotomy, both as hero and villain; a dark knight so to speak. The choice he made against the Steelers will forever be attached to him, always referenced in terms of his career. Some will hold that decision against him forever, using that horrible act to define him. Those that choose to embrace him, including the Cleveland Browns and much of their fanbase won't forget the choice Garrett made, but see his heroic feats, both on and off the field, as a beacon of hope and potential redemption for a man, a football team and perhaps far more.
