Shedeur Sanders ‘thankful’ for Cleveland community embracing him after NFL Draft

Cleveland Browns rookie minicamp concluded on Sunday, providing the franchise a first-look at their incoming rookie class. The spotlight was on fifth-round QB Shedeur Sanders, who has been out and about within the local community since arriving in the city shortly after last month’s draft.

Since arriving in Cleveland, he’s spoken to kids at a local high school, and even worked out with a local football team from another school after that. Sanders is appreciative of the response from the community, as he feels as though he’s a perfect fit for the Browns organization.

“That’s why it worked out. That’s why I’m here and that’s why I’m Brown,” Sanders said of the city’s response to him during an interview with Browns broadcaster Nathan Zegura. “I feel like God won’t put me in a situation I’m not ready for, and that’s not ready for me. So that’s why I’m thankful for the city embracing me, how I have been able to go and see the kids just working out. They were running with me, clapping for me when I get done working out and stuff. It’s really cool, and the city has really embraced me a lot. I’m just excited to be here.”

Sanders felt as though he was ready to get to work immediately once he was drafted. After arriving in town and when he wasn’t able to do so in the Browns facilities — it didn’t take him long to begin visiting schools and other youth football venues local to the Cleveland area to get some work in. Days after his selection, Sanders posted a video on his Instagram story visiting a local gym in the downtown Cleveland area.

“I was ready to get to work in my new city,” he continued. “I’ve been working out home thanks to Pops (Deion Sanders), he built everything we needed to be successful. So I was ready to get acclimated to my new city, so I came out here and met everybody. Had the resource I needed to be great.

“Going to the schools, I’ve been doing that since during the season last year, since even before that. That was just something that I generally do, and what I find fun. There’s a lot of negativity, a lot of talk going on in the world. So that’s where I find my peace, my happiness, my joy, is be able to have positive influence on the youth.”

Embraced by the local community, Sanders must now earn the respect of his teammates once he meets the rest of the locker room when OTA’s start later this month. There, he’ll attempt to win the Browns quarterback battle against some stiff competition as an incoming rookie.