LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (4.30.21)
On what it means to him that the Browns traded up to select him:
“A glorious feeling. It is a monumental feeling. I am so glad that the coaches gave me an opportunity to be able to show why I was supposed to be where I am supposed to be. It is all love. It is a genuine feeling that the coaches would take a chance on me, and I am appreciative to that. Glory be to God.”
On how exciting it is to come to a team where he can make an immediate impact:
“I am working right now. I told my mom I am about to go outside and run on the beach, maybe run a mile or two (laughter). The coaches have a great system, a system that is not based off of perfection and guys that need to just be all structure. The system is really a structured system that allows you to fly around and make plays. I am really appreciative again of the opportunity. When I was in the meeting, the defensive coordinator (Joe Woods) said to me, ‘No bark, all bite.’ Understanding that this is an all-action type of defense, an all-action type of team. Again, I am appreciative of it.”
On his emotions over the past 24 hours, given many people expected he may be picked in the first round:
“It has been a patient one. My spirituality is extremely strong for me. It was a point where I had to take a stance of faith to be able to just lock in on my responsibilities and to be able to lock in on controlling the controllable. It is just a matter of controlling what you can control, and the things that you can’t control, you have to let those stand by.”
On if it will motivate him that he fell to the second round:
“There has to be something that will motivate you, but again, my motivation lies strictly within the game of football and my appreciation for football. I am not going to use something that is external in terms of a draft and people not picking me. I see those linebackers that were going in front of me, and I see those defenders that have gone before me, but you have to take certain things and add energy to certain things. What you put your thoughts to, that is what you give your energy to. If I rely on that and I think as much on that, I will be [focusing] on the past. Right now, we are in the future and in the present. There are things that I have to get done right now.”
On what he can offer the Browns, given his ability to blitz, cover TEs and slot WRs, forcing fumbles and his overall versatility:
“I almost do not have to answer this question because you answered it yourself. Even in that case, I am a versatile guy. I can be in the box, I can be on the edge and I can be in the APEX as you would call the alley player. I think that is the reason why the Cleveland Browns chose me because I can do all those things. If I were to describe myself, I would describe myself as being talented, I would describe myself as being hardworking and a guy that is versatile in everything that he does. I am looking forward to getting to work, and I am looking forward to these guys taking me in. I am looking forward to adapting to the culture.”
On if he appreciates the opportunity to play LB as opposed to other teams potentially playing him at other positions:
“I am happy with whatever position they put me in. It goes back to just being able to love these things. I love football. I love the game. I love the process. I love what it has taught me. It is almost a father figure to me. In that appreciation for the game, you get out there and you will play linebacker, safety or quarterback if they let me – I would not play quarterback (laughter). You get out there and play any position that they put you at and find out what the culture is . The culture – I repeat it all of the time – smart, tough and accountable. Those are the three pillars, and those are things I am looking to harp on.”
On what he loves doing most on the football field:
“Tackling. Tackling is what makes the money. Tackling is what gets the defense off of the field and gets the offense off of the field. Tackling is something I love to do. Whether it is a hard hit, whether it is a wrap-and-roll hit or whether it is a certain technical hit, I like tackling. That is what the game is about and that is what I am here for.”
On if there is a player who he modeled his game after:
“Yeah, absolutely. As I was coming up, I was looking at guys like (Falcons LB) Deion Jones, guys like (Seahawks S) Jamal Adams, guys like (former Bears CB) Charles Tillman and more older guys like (Pro Football Hall of fame S) Ed Reed. These guys that not only exemplified what it took to get to the next level on the field but also off of the field. That is what I was huge on, as well. Those were really key guys I looked up to. Right now, I have been watching a lot of (Colts LB) Darius Leonard film and just how he is making his impact and being doubted and stuff.”
On joining a Browns team on the rise and has added multiple new players on defense:
“I am glad to be on a good culture team, a traditionally sound team and a team that is looking to win, that is ready to win and that is winning, and a coaching staff that is all about competing and not more about results but more about the process. I am really enthused to be able to be on this squad, get to know these teammates and build right away.”
On where he is on draft night:
“I am in the Peninsula of Virginia. I am in the 757 area.”
On his familiarity with the Browns:
“I am very familiar with the Browns. I was watching throughout the season last year. Believe it or not, I was actually picturing myself in this scheme as I was watching them play last year sitting down with one of my coaches from Notre Dame. It has just been a blessing to see everything come to fruition. I am looking forward to it. Words cannot explain.”
On when he watched the Browns last season and if he watched the team’s playoff games:
“It was earlier in the season. I did watch a couple of the playoff games. Just understanding kind of how these guys played, how they ran around and the aggressiveness that they had and not a lot of guys were chatting; it was all about action again.”
On if there was a specific moment when he realized his unique explosiveness and ability to change a game:
“I do not think there was a specific point. Throughout my high school years and my middle school years, I was a big guy on the sand and the beach, and I was a big guy on the hills. We have a lot of hills out here with Mount Trashmore. In Virginia, we like to harken on those to give us an edge. My explosiveness comes from those certain drills on the hill I believe, but also, it was God-given.”
On if he has ever met Allen Iverson:
“Oh yeah. That is my guy. That is my guy.”
On if Iverson may come to some Browns games:
“Yeah, God willing. We went to the same high school. I am cool with his manager. I have spoken to Reebok, too. AI is really involved. I will probably get a text from him soon here hopefully.”
On if he knows CB Greg Newsome II:
“He literally just texted me as you said that. I am not familiar with him, but I just got a text message saying, ‘Hey, this is Greg Newsome. What is going on?’ I literally just got his message while you said that.”
On if he was hoping that the Browns would take him with the 26th pick and his reaction when the team drafted Newsome and then also traded up to select him:
“I am glad that they got him because I actually called that pick out. I was like ‘Yo, they need to get my boy Greg off of there.’ \I did not know him, but I was familiar with some of his stuff. Nevertheless, I did get a message specifically from my agent and I was getting these messages from different GMs as to why I was not getting picked and things like that. One of them from Cleveland was like, ‘We had no issues with him. We just did not expect him to be on the board so we were planning to just get a corner.’ Cleveland was pretty sound already, and they were expecting to get a corner.”
On if he had the opportunity to ask his former teammate and Dolphins OL Liam Eichenberg about Cleveland during the draft process:
“I did not have anything to ask Liam – that is my guy – but I have heard a lot about Cleveland because (Notre Dame DB) Shaun Crawford is from there. Shaun Crawford is a safety that we have here.”
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