CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had an interesting start to the bye week, as a decision to take a photo with a “fan” resulted in him getting punched in the face.
But rather than let the encounter ruin his bye week break, Garrett went about his business away from the team and came back ready to work for what will be a stern test in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts Sunday.
“It was a what, 10-minute thing?” Garrett said. “I went on with the rest of my day and the rest of my week. It’s in the past.
“Right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen to him and I’m not worried about it. I’m worried about the Patriots and stopping Brady.”
According to the police, Garrett was in his car on East 9th Street and talking on a cell phone when a 24-year old Strongsville man driving a 2007 Chevy Cobalt pulled up and asked for a picture. After Garrett told him to wait while he finished the phone call, the man left his vehicle and took a picture through Garrett’s driver side window.
After taking the photo, the man “struck Garrett in the face with a closed fist” and fled the scene of the incident.
Since joining the Browns, Garrett has embraced Cleveland’s fans, including organizing a watch party for the series finale of “Game of Thrones,” as well as a group outing for owners and their dogs, but will the incident prevent him from fulfilling other photo/autograph requests from fans?
“Hesitant to open my window. That’s about it,” Garrett said.
Regardless of what happens to the man accused of punching him in the face, Garrett is solely focused on doing what he does best on a football field, and that is rush the passer, who just so happens to be a future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
You have to make sure he’s out there seeing ghosts,” Garrett said. “He’s holding the ball, patting it, looking for other options, you can have some time to get the ball out his hands, strip him and get the ball for your offense.
“I don’t care about their record or their record for the last three years. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done. When you go in there, they’re just another team. You go into their stadium and you want to shut the crowd up. It doesn’t matter to me what any of their players have done.
“I have respect for them because they’ve put in years in the league and they’ve accomplished much, but once you step on the field, you just have to be better than them on that night. That’s the goal -- we’re better than them on that night.”