CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield does not lack for confidence, on or off of the football field, and that led to a memorable moment during the team’s annual “Rookie Talent Show,” a ritual done at the end of training camp every season.
Mayfield impersonated general manager John Dorsey during the talent show, and while reaction on social media was positive, the first-year quarterback revealed to Hall of Famer Troy Aikman during the fourth episode of “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cleveland Browns” that the very man he impersonated was not a fan.
“And, hey, the John Dorsey thing? Awesome,” Aikman said. “I mean, awesome.”
“He hated it,” Mayfield replied.
In the first video that was posted to the Browns’ Twitter account, Mayfield gave his rendition of Dorsey addressing a player that was new to the franchise.
“Hello, this is John Dorsey,” Mayfield said why prominently chewing on a piece of gum. “How ya doing, buddy boy?
“Playing in the National Football League is a blessing. It’s a privilege. Not many people get to do it. Ya know what I mean, buddy boy? That’s good stuff, huh? Yeah, yeah, that’s good stuff.”
During the 60-second clip, Mayfield went on to describe what it means to be a member of the Browns.
“It takes dedication,” Mayfield said. “You know what else takes dedication? Being a Cleveland Brown. See, being a Cleveland Brown is way more than just playing football. It’s about being an elf. It’s about coming to work every day with your hardhat and your ‘Air Dorseys’ and your sweater. You strap on those shoes, and you go to work.
“I do it every day. Don’t be scared.”
In a second video, and later, a photo posted to the Browns’ Twitter account, Mayfield was seen impersonating Dorsey’s gait as he walked through the second floor of the team’s Berea headquarters. Mayfield impersonated the walk while wearing white sneakers with “Cleveland Browns” printed on the tongues of the shoes and an orange Nike Swoosh with a brown outline on the sides.
Despite the impersonation allegedly not going over well with Dorsey, the Browns will give Mayfield the start in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
“It looks like a half, for sure,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “It just depends on how all of that unfolds, how many plays we get or do not get. You never know what the flow of it is going to be. He is definitely going to start the game and play as long as I want to see him out there.
“Being able to just keep growing in the system. How we call the game, situational football. Execute at a high level because I think that he can and I know he can. Continue to move our offense forward. There will be some other guys that he is playing with that we will be depending on. I just want to see him keep taking steps towards ultimately what his goal is -- someday to be playing quarterback here.”
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