Shedeur Sanders ‘going to be great’ as footage emerges of ‘unselfish act’ for distraught Cleveland community
Shedeur Sanders may have lost the battle to be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, but he has been winning the hearts of the community.
After hearing of the horrific Rainbow Terrace fire in the Garden Valley neighborhood in Kinsman back in June that resulted in a significant loss of low-income housing, Sanders decided to put on a community event for those residents, free of charge.
Although the residents got out unharmed, upon hearing about this, lawyer Stanley Jackson detailed how Sanders reached out through a mutual friend about doing something for the community.
“Shedeur reached out through a mutual friend and just said, ‘Hey I just want to do something good for the community,” Jackson said via a video posted by Overtime SZN on Saturday.
“‘But more importantly, I’m a part of this fabric of this community. I want to make sure that kids in this community have something they can be proud of and enjoy.'”
In preparation, the 23-year-old rookie leveraged his affiliation with global businesses and brands, including Gatorade and Overtime, and handed out grilled food, as well as clothes and sneakers.
For the kids, there was plenty of fun-filled activities, including bounce houses, and an of other inflatables, and of course, plenty of football was played.
“Everything is free,” Sanders could be seen saying to a kid in the video. “If they try to charge you for anything, tell me. Anything, for real.”
Whilst from the outside, some posed the idea that his gesture was a publicity stunt, those from within the neighborhood had an entirely different perspective.
“First Browns player to ever come down here to these projects, man,” was the feeling from an attendee at the community event. “That man is going to be great.”
Following the conclusion of the event, Jackson said: “He has rookie camp in a couple of days and he’s deciding to be here in this community. That’s an unselfish act.
“But it also says a lot about that young man’s character and how he was raised. Many of us who are older are fans of his father, and we realise that they raised that young man well.
Since suffering an all-time slide in the 2025 NFL Draft and dropping to the fifth round, Sanders – son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion – has gauged a new perspective on life and what he has to do to really be ‘great’.
“When I got drafted, I was very thankful for it,” Sanders said. “It changed my perspective in a lot of different things and in a lot of areas for sure. But it made me more thankful for just the opportunity…”
“The pressure is different here [in the NFL] I would say. But truthfully is, I know I got to go out there and be my best and bring the team to have them be their best. But at first, I’ve got to be my best too to get an opportunity to lead the team.”
Forty-year-old veteran Joe Flacco has earned the starting nod to begin the 2025 regular season, as the Browns seek to improve upon their woeful 3-14 record last time out.
Despite completing multiple midnight workouts, as well as an impressive display on his preseason debut, Sanders is behind an injured Kenny Pickett, and third-round rookie selection, Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart
Sanders has no animosity towards any of the QB room – not even Gabriel, who previously was forced to deny controversial comments about ‘entertainers and competitors‘, which some felt was indirectly aimed at the former Colorado Buffaloes star.
In fact, he revealed that he has struck up quite the bond with veteran leader, Flacco despite being 17 years his junior.
“Everybody [in the Browns quarterback room] we’re all cool in there. It’s a great bond.”
“Joe [Flacco] is of course the old guy in the room, so he definitely gives us funny things that happened to him in his whole career and things like that. And, if I do something crazy, I talk to him about it. He’s just real fun.
“At meetings and stuff, we always joke about the difference in age and years and what was popular in their time in the day and some shows or some music that I don’t even know. So that’s the funniest thing.”
When all was said and done, Sanders summed up what attending the event meant to him personally.
“Just get active and actually do it,” he said. “Sending money or something, that’s easy, but you have to actually go out there and be there in the flesh. I feel like that’s more impactful.”
According to News Talk Cleveland, Kinsman – where the devastating fire and subsequent community give-back took place – is the fifth-most dangerous neighborhood in the greater Cleveland metro area.
But that matters little to Sanders.
“To be able to go out there, throw the football and connect with them… we doing it for the people,” he said. “We’re not gaining anything out of it. This all comes out of my own pockets.
“It’s more about connecting with the kids and everything like that. That’s what brings me happiness. That’s what brings me joy.”
Sanders was one of four QBs to see the field on Saturday, as the Browns beat the Los Angeles Rams in their final preseason game.
The former Buffs QB completed three of his six passes for 14 yards, and will now await a decision on the 53-man roster which must be announced by 4pm EST on Tuesday.
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