IT’S A REAL JOY WHEN HUE TALKS
By STEVE KING
As I’ve said here any number of times, Browns head coach Hue Jackson is a great interview.
He doesn’t give media members he dreaded coach-speak. Instead, he provides real, legitimate answers – ones that are honest, heartfelt, well-thought-out and, above all else, really interesting. Listening to him address various topics is a tremendous joy.
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Such was the case on Thursday in Jackson’s daily press conference when he was asked about two pertinent topics as the Browns continued to get ready for Sunday’s home game against the San Diego Chargers.
First, about the need for the team to say grounded as it continues to get national attention:
“Absolutely,” he said. We have not done anything. We have not qualified for anything. We have won two football games. We have played five last time I checked. We have done nothing. Even when we do something, we will have done nothing. We have a lot of work to do here. We are going to keep this team grounded and work in how we go about our business.
“That is what Cleveland is about – people that work hard earn what they get and get what they earn and keep finding ways to do it every day. That is just who we are going to be. I just think that is the only way to do this. We can’t get caught up in anything else. We are just going to put our head down, keep working, play the next opponent and go from there.”
Then, about retired left tackle Joe Thomas, and the fact that he will be honored throughout Sunday’s game:
“I think it is unbelievable,” Jackson said. “My time here with one of the greatest players to me that has ever played the game at left tackle here in Cleveland was special to me. Watching Joe form a far and then having the chance to coach him, I understand why all of you guys thought that he was so special as a person. Then watching him as a player and watching a guy who would not take a play off – I do not care what the aches were or what the situation was – until he could not physically do it anymore.
“I will never forget walking on that field when he was down there and him not being able to get up, understanding that this might be it. To watch and look back on his career and see what he has done, man, that is amazing to me. Nobody else has ever play that many [consecutive] snaps, and I do not know if anybody else will do that again for a long time. It just tells you how important football was to him. To go through all of the seasons that he went through when things did not go well, that does not happen in this league and I think that we all know that.
“I think what he has done, the way he played, the way that he conducted himself with class within this organization, the way he conducted himself out in the community and all of the good things that he did for this football team will never be forgotten. Joe Thomas is a class person and a great, great football player.”
