Jacoby Brissett talks gratitude after Browns Week 1 win
By John Suchan
Jacoby Brissett showed another part of his game afterwards in the Browns post-game press conference where he talked about his gratitude for the moment
Showing gratitude isn’t going to win you many NFL football games but for Cleveland Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett the thankfulness he displayed in his post-game presser after a dramatic last-second field goal victory goes beyond the field of play.
Some may argue that Brissett didn’t do a very good job in his first game under center for his new team. However, he made plays when they needed them most and showed some grit at the end of the game that helped this team win the opener, something they hadn’t done in the past 18 seasons.
In his post-game comments, Brissett became emotional a time or two as he described playing in the NFL and what it meant to him to this point in his career.
"“Like I said, leading up to this, these aren’t promised. So whenever you get an opportunity, you cherish those opportunities….I mean, playing in the NFL is a highlight every time, and that’s why I think I am so emotional is because they just don’t come that often. And it’s definitely special being in that huddle and being the guy. Yeah, thank you.” — Brissett said via Ashley Bastock of Cleveland.com"
Maybe it’s because Cleveland has just come out of a lengthy relationship with the brash Baker Mayfield, but it was refreshing to hear from a football player genuinely talking about being thankful for where he is today.
It’s very easy for young people to overlook and not appreciate what’s right in front of them. Brissett has been in this league since 2016 and has come in on a moment’s notice and substituted in for some of the great quarterbacks of the past including Tom Brady and Andrew Luck.
Early in his Cleveland debut, he had several passes that were overthrown, missing wide-open receivers. He finished 18-of-35 for 147 yards with one touchdown. Brissett openly admitted that he was pretty emotional at the start of the game.
Who wouldn’t he? But he was able to work through those emotions and make some clutch throws to keep the sticks moving.
There has been an extraordinary amount of build-up to this game for many reasons. Brissett is filling in for Deshaun Watson until he can return in Week 13 as he serves out his 11-game suspension.
We don’t know what the future holds or how this Cleveland season will play out, but we certainly learned a little more about our current quarterback and what drives him to success. He didn’t do anything flashy during this ballgame but all should praise the gratitude he talked about afterward.
If you can stand back and look at what just happened in this Week 1 win for Cleveland, it really is a changing of the guard as an old-time veteran helped lead his team just enough to give rookie kicker Cade York an opportunity to make history.
Being able to share your gratitude for a big moment isn’t something that comes easy to many people. Too often we see athletes talk about success and act as though they are thankful, but that message is often times missing that genuineness.
In Week 1, you saw a football player share a bit of emotion for the big moment. That’s truly refreshing and I’m thankful that he’s the Browns quarterback to start this season.
