BEREA, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns walked out of the locker room for the first practice of training camp at team headquarters on Thursday morning, every player was welcomed to the field by a chorus of chants from the loyal legion of fans in attendance.
But the support was not limited to the early part of practice, as the fans applauded nice throws, roared with excitement for every circus-like catch from wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and every pass break up from Pro Bowl defenders Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward.
That excitement was palpable for the players throughout the on-field portion of practice.
“You could feel it,” Beckham Jr. said. “You don’t even have to hear it. Like I told you before, I’m a real empath, so I could feel the hunger and the want to win from these fans, and that’s just something we just want to be able to showcase and give to them.”
Beckham Jr. drew thunderous cheers from the fans when he made a catch along the sideline during an 11-on-11 drill.
While running an out route against tight coverage from cornerback Terrance “Money” Mitchell, Beckham Jr. had the pass bounce off of both his hands and helmet, but he stayed with the play and secured the catch with both feet down in bounds before falling to the ground.
“I'm just excited to be here and the opportunity where I can just give love back,” Beckham Jr. said. “It's sad, but this world is so full of hate and we love to look at the negatives and that's the only thing that can get talked about, which I feel and understand because I feel like all the positive stuff is supposed to happen.
“All the catches that I make, you're supposed to make them, so the only thing you can focus on naturally is what's not supposed to happen or what is negative. So I do love the love and I just want to be able to spread that through this community, through this team and build something special.”
And Beckham Jr. was far from alone in soaking in the moments with fans before, during and after practice.
“It makes it all the more exciting for us feeling the energy,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “We need to set the standard. This is a tradition-rich franchise that needs to have that standard every year. It is just getting back to that base line, setting that foundation for everybody else and just for them to realize this is what they should expect every year. That is how you build a great culture and a great winning culture. They do deserve that, and that is how it needs to be.”
To Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, support like the team had Thursday is an indication of why Cleveland is a special place to play football.
“I feel like he should feel the love from the fans because they showed it to him,” Kitchens said of Beckham Jr. “The thing that separates Cleveland from a lot of places is the passion that they bring to the game, to the practice, on social media and all that kind of stuff.
“The passion in the Cleveland area for the Browns or all Browns fans is very unique. I think that was demonstrated and probably will be demonstrated the rest of training camp. Hopefully, we can carry that momentum over into the real season.”
