BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns are hard at work preparing for the 2019 season, but they took some time out of the busy training-camp schedule to welcome a very special guest to the team’s headquarters in Berea Thursday.
Through a partnership with A Special Wish Foundation, the Browns hosted C.J. DeJohn, a nine-year old fan, and his parents at Thursday’s practice, and as a Jr. Reporter, he interviewed general manager John Dorsey, coach Freddie Kitchens, quarterback Baker Mayfield and several other players throughout the day.
“I have no words for it, man,” Carl DeJohn said of C.J.’s experience in Berea. “My first memories of football are at his age, going to training camp at Lakeland Community College and screaming for the players that I loved. To be able to come here and have him experience this is once in a lifetime.”
At the end of Kitchens’ daily press conference, C.J. asked how he keeps the whole team, 90 players, dozens of coaches and other personnel, so well organized during practice.
“CJ, there is a lot of planning that goes into that,” Kitchens said. “That is why you have a good staff so you can tell them exactly what you want, and then, they have the same vision that you have, and then, we go out and do it.
“We have a practice schedule that everybody stays on course with during the course of the day, and they are marked off by 10-minute periods, five-minute periods and 15-minute periods. That loud horn that you hear blow out there, that switches to the next one. Going lateral on the sheet of paper, it has where to place the ball, what period it is, whether it is a running period, a passing period or whatever; and then, we have another sheet of paper that tells you the plays that you are going to run within that period.”
Following his response, Kitchens turned the tables on C.J. and asked him several questions, including what school he went to (North Ridgeville Academic Center), what grade he was going into (fourth) and whether he had a dog.
The DeJohns have an 11-year old Black Labrador Shepherd mix named Mickey.
“80 in dog years? Wow,” Kitchens said. “What does that make him? Like seven probably?
“Does he catch a ball? Will he fetch? Can you throw it for him? Can you throw it far?”
After the exchange, Kitchens told DeJohn that he and his family “are welcome anytime” at practice and posed for photos with the whole family.
C.J. has been dealing heart issues since birth and has experienced multiple open-heart surgeries. Also, since C.J. was born in Colorado, his heart was under additional stress because of the altitude, and his family relocated to Northeast Ohio.
