It may have taken longer than most people anticipated. Still, Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start, and his Hall of Fame father and former college football coach, Deion Sanders, was there before the game to hug him before he strutted onto the football field.
The much-anticipated debut of Shedeur as a starter has taken the sporting world by storm, as the Browns have been struggling, with the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback being the third starter at the position this season. After sliding down the
NFL Draft to the fifth round with the 155th selection, he was the last quarterback on the depth chart behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, with an injured DeShaun Watson most likely missing the season due to injury.After trading Flacco and Pickett, and with Gabriel missing this game after suffering a concussion the prior week, it was time for Shedeur to show off his skills.
Before the start of the game, as Shedeur was walking out of the tunnel, a camera shows him approaching his father to
hug him before stepping onto the field to start his very first NFL game. The two embraced, exchanged pleasantries, and then the quarterback rejoined his teammates for a pep talk before they headed out of the tunnel onto the field.As the team flowed out to the grass, cheers were heard from the visiting crowd at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The moment carried over into the game, and the Browns emerged victorious over the Raiders by a score of 24-10, as Shedeur completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, throwing one touchdown and an interception.
According to NFL.com, after the game, the rookie spoke to reporters to express how he has been dealing with his first year in the NFL.
“Being a backup and everything, sometimes you have to compromise your personality and change the way you do things, to never step on anybody’s toes,” Sanders said. “The fact that I got an opportunity, and I was able to show the organization, show everybody who I really am, it’s truly exciting.”
He definitely has his father’s spirit, as he had a message for those who doubt him.
“A lot of people wanted to see me fail, and it ain’t going to happen. It ain’t going to happen.”
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