A 2017 first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, TE David Njoku has heard it all. From “the Browns is the Browns” to “Cleveland is Cleveland”, even other NFL players come after his team, his city. And the New Jersey native takes it to heart when he hears such things, loyal to his adopted home.
“With [Micah] Parsons and the other idiot, talking down on Cleveland is something I won’t accept, no matter what”, Njoku said recently when asked about comments over the past year from some high-profile players, via WEWS reporter Camryn Justice. “No matter what happens, I will not accept it, so just, with that being said, respect the city, bro. It’s very simple”.
Njoku and Parsons got into it somewhat at the Pro Bowl earlier this year after the latter offered his shot. Among a group of Pro Bowlers playing Madden for a promotion, he dropped a “Cleveland is Cleveland”. Njoku did astutely point out that he was there too with his Cowboys teammates—not in the Super Bowl. So what is it, then, Dallas is Dallas?
As far as “the other idiot” goes, I’m reasonably sure he’s referring to Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase. He openly baited the Browns before one meeting last season, which didn’t go very well. “It’s just the hooping and hollering about the Cleveland—Browns”, he said. “I was about to call them the Elves, but, yeah…”
Of course, Chase’s Bengals proceeded to lose to David Njoku and company. “It’s frustrating because I called their ass elves and we just lost to some elves so I’m pissed on my part”, he said, which I find all rather amusing even today.
Additional corroborating evidence goes back to the Pro Bowl during a conversation with Njoku and Parsons. Njoku’s Browns teammate, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, addressed Parsons asking if he was the one who said “Cleveland is Cleveland”—which he was, but which he didn’t believe. “That was Ja’Marr!”, JOK said. But perhaps what Chase said instead was Keebler is Keebler.
I will give the Browns this: especially over the past several years, they do have buy-in. Browns players have a lot of pride and believe in their coach and in themselves. Especially players like David Njoku, who’ve gone through the ringer with the franchise. The Browns went 0-16 his rookie year, then four years later beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs.
“I feel like Cleveland raised me from a boy to a man”, Njoku said in the video linked at the top, before his Parsons remark. “I got drafted at 20 years old here. That was seven, eight years ago. I’m 27 now, I turn 28 in July. Just becoming a man in this city, it means more than what most may think”.
The Browns as an organization don’t get everything right, particularly from ownership—not that anybody does. But nobody can question the absolute fact that they are a true football town. Cleveland loves its Browns, and Njoku, over time, has become one of its favorites, so the love is mutual.
