My 40 time, my bank account and my twice-a-week workout regime, make it obvious to me and most everyone else that I am NOT Josh Gordon.
I did not have a breakout 2013 season, with more than 1,600 receiving yards.
I did not get suspended from my job time and time again because of violating a drug policy.
I did not just get reinstated.
And I did not party with troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel during the offseason.
Even so, let’s pretend for a moment I am Josh Gordon. I am 25, entering training camp with my old team—the Browns—and a new coach in Hue Jackson, after two straight seasons nearly obliterated by suspensions.
If I were Josh Gordon, I would show up a half hour early every single day.
I would not try to lead or advise rookies, other than some on-the-field tips. Rather I would become one of them, working as if I had everything to prove and no previous stats to fall back on.
As for social media, no thank you. Goodbye Twitter. Snapchat? Who needs it? Instagram, I will see you after the season.
It is time to lay low with the personal and social life and let the talent do ALL of the talking.
FWD, Barely House and any other club in Cleveland would not be on my list of stomping grounds.
I am here in Cleveland to work. So that is what I would do and very little else.
To state the obvious, I would “JUST SAY NO” to any drug that came my way and avoid any interaction with people who did otherwise.
I would understand that now could be my time, but I can’t take it for granted.
Every route I’d run hard. Every film session, I would pay close attention. Each media encounter, I’d keep my answers both short and polite. This opportunity is not at all about me and is everything about my potential as a player.
I know to realize my potential, I need to be on a team. The Browns have no shortage of wide receivers on the roster, including my buddy Corey Coleman, who was a first-round pick.
I need to focus. I need to be an asset. I need to show character.
I know I need to do all of this so I can stay here because if I were Hue Jackson, it would not take much to make the choice to let me go...
