NFL Preview: Jets’ Braylon Edwards vs Cleveland Browns’ Fans
There is excitement in the air. Braylon Edwards is coming to Cleveland with New York Jets. It’s not the usual kind of excitement though. Not a homecoming for Edwards in the routine sense. Browns fans are excited because they plan on booing Edwards and Edwards
knows it.
“I think the boos will be serious,” Edwards said. He added that he didn’t think there would be any cheers for him in the crowd and that the fans would be against him. “But so what? That's life,” an unapologetic Edwards said. He stated that the only thing
that mattered for him was playing the Cleveland Browns and his uneasy relationship with the fans was secondary.
Edwards is human and no matter how tough he tries to appear, the fact is that being booed would faze any athlete. In the back of his mind, he is thinking about it. Soon after Jets’ victory over Detroit Lions, Edwards was addressing Browns fans through his
twitter account. “And before I take off and forget, all you Cleveland browns fans, 17 is coming back and you better bring ya d**n popcorn.” For his sake, let’s hope twitter isn’t popular in Cleveland and the fans didn’t notice his provocation. But they probably
did and even if they hadn’t, there was little love for the wide receiver to begin with.
Doesn’t matter if its love or hate but when Edwards walks into the stadium, the crowd is going to be in an uproar. Edwards says that he is prepared for it adding that he didn’t think he would be bothered by the crowd on Sunday. He is a professional and should
be able to focus on the game. His performance on the field would enrage Cleveland fans far more than anything he could say on Twitter. If Edwards can manage a touchdown in the game and celebrate in the end zone that would really get the crowd going.
Edwards was with the Browns for four seasons until last season when he was traded to New York Jets. Recalling that event, Edwards says he had just one regret that he couldn’t show how excited he was about being traded. “I just thought that it would be unprofessional
to do a dance in his office,” Edwards said adding that he couldn’t get out of the Browns’ training camp quickly enough.
The fans couldn’t wait for him to leave either. The fans and Edwards didn’t get along from the first day he was drafted by Cleveland. He was involved in quite a few off field incidents and a run-in or two with the law. He developed a bad reputation from
the start and it only got worse with the fans. But he never had any disputes with teammates. Browns’ wide receiver, Joshua Cribbs said that he was a ‘team guy’ and got along well with everyone in the locker room. “He just had problems with the fans.”
Not all of Edwards’ former teammates speak as favourably of him. Joe Thomas said that he had grown weary of all the drama surrounding Edwards. “I would rather just go out and play games. Certainly not having that has been nice.”
After his third and career high setting season, Edwards’ performance fell and the fans started to get on his case. Edwards said that because of that one season he earned ‘a bad rap’ which stuck with him ever since. In New York, his production increased and
quarterback Mark Sanchez has been quite pleased with the wide receiver.
Edwards said that he wants to continue playing for the Jets. But that isn’t up to him. While he has stayed out of trouble for the most part in New York but there is one blotch on his record. He was arrested for drunken driving in September. The Jets suspended
him and the league would hand out its own discipline when the legal proceedings conclude.
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