Teammates: Garrett staying positive after injury

By Nate Ulrich

Akron Beacon Journal (TNS)

CLEVELAND

A couple of Browns rookies opined Friday that Myles Garrett is in high spirits after the No. 1 overall draft pick suffered an injured left foot Wednesday during the second of three mandatory minicamp practices.

The Browns have yet to provide information about the severity of the injury.

Garrett didn’t participate in the last practice of minicamp Thursday because he was being further evaluated at team headquarters in Berea, a team spokesman said.

The injury also led to Garrett’s absence Friday morning from FirstEnergy Stadium, where nearly the entire rookie class participated in a youth football camp as part of the team’s “Give Back” campaign. Strong safety Jabrill Peppers had an excused absence, too.

A photograph of what appears to be Garrett wearing a walking boot on his left leg at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport surfaced on Twitter late Friday morning.

Garrett, a dominant defensive end at Texas A&M, suffered the injury when he ran toward quarterback Brock Osweiler for a would-be sack during an 11-on-11 drill. He crashed to the ground and immediately grabbed the bottom of his left foot. He walked with a limp after he was helped up and later when he strolled off the field as practice ended.

“It sucks, especially when he’s one of your good friends,” said rookie defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, a third-round pick. “I’ve known Myles for just a short period of time, but we’ve connected and you know how good of a person he is because he’s humble and he’s hungry and really wants to be great. So you know it sucks, but it’s part of the game. It’s part of the process and you know he’s going to bounce back.”

Ogunjobi said Garrett, who signed his four-year, $30.4 million rookie contract last month, has handled the setback well.

“You know, same mentality. One day at a time. That’s the nature of the game. That’s just what it is,” Ogunjobi said. “You kind of have to keep him in high spirits, you keep him going and you know he’s good. He’s still smiling. He’s still feeling good. It’s just part of life. You can’t really be up and down. You’ve got to be even keel and just take it one day at a time.”

Added rookie tight end David Njoku, a first-round selection: “Myles is always a happy camper. So he’s just fine.”

Garrett, who suffered a left high-ankle sprain last year at Texas A&M, had been limited in organized team activities earlier this spring reportedly because of a sore foot stemming from rookie minicamp.

But when Garrett practiced, his tremendous potential turned heads.

“You just see a guy who knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it,” Ogunjobi said. “He’s a guy you can learn a lot from.”