In another bad year for the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver/returner Josh Cribbs has proved to be one of the only bright spots. Recently he showed he's equally good off the field as well. The Pro Bowler traveled to Berea, Ohio for senior night to walk onto the field with the son of one of his former college coaches.
Michael Drake, a senior receiver at Stow High School, lost his father, Mike, in 2005 to lymphoma. He had assumed he'd be accompanied by his mother and sister for senior night introductions and was stunned when he saw Cribbs arrive minutes before the game. Cribbs offered him advice before his final game.
Michael's late father recruited Josh to play at Kent State and served as a father figure to the Washington, D.C. native during his time at Kent. Mike Drake was the offensive coordinator at Kent State during Cribbs's freshman and sophomore seasons. Josh Cribbs played quarterback in college and credits Drake for helping him develop the fundamentals that he still uses today. So, when the idea of returning for senior night was mentioned to Cribbs this summer, he didn't hesitate.
It says a lot about the character of Josh Cribbs. He apparently didn't feel the need to talk about it publicly and neither did the media. It seems they only talk about negative incidents with athletes. Similarly, Drake's mother is quoted as saying that Cribbs took great pains to underplay his presence at the game for fear of taking away the spotlight from Michael and the other seniors. This shows a humility that everyone, including professional football players, could stand to emulate.
I will be cheering for Josh Cribbs, if not the Cleveland Browns, from this point on.
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