WR Rashard Higgins and LB Christian Kirksey (4.16.24)
Opening statement:
JW Johnson: “Hey, good morning and welcome. We’re really excited today to welcome back two players who really exemplify what it means to be a Brown on and off the field and got a chance to see Christian (Kirksey) and Rashard (Higgins) earlier and told him welcome home because this truly is their home and, you know, want to welcome them back. Obviously, Christian Kirksey, as I call him, the captain, was drafted here in the third round in 2014. Obviously been through a lot of highs and lows here during that period of time, but again, was always an inspiration to everybody here in the building. You know, just led with such passion and heart and, you know, he left everything on and off the field for us and just so welcome to have him back and for him to retire as a Brown means the world to me and to our family, to this organization. Also want to welcome back Rashard ‘Hollywood’ Higgins fifth round here out of Colorado State in 2016. Higgie, you know, had his highs and lows as a player, always worked his way back, had an opportunity to. He was on the practice squad and worked his way back up to the starting roster and shined in a lot of big moments for us. I think I have a picture on my phone from when he scored the game winning touchdown against the Bills in 2019, and I’m going crazy. So I look forward to sharing that with him, but really excited to have these guys back here and glad that they are retiring as Cleveland Browns. And so, without further ado, I would like to welcome Christian and Rashard up to the stage. Here he comes.”
What are your reflections on coming back?
Christian Kirksey: “Yeah, I’ll start, man, I feel good. I mean once me and my wife got off the plane, I mean, it’s 2014 I remember first coming here, little kid coming from University of Iowa, and just the amount of love that I’ve got since day one being here. You just feel the love again once you step foot in Cleveland, and it’s just a blessing to be able to be a part of an organization and to officially end my career here. It’s something that I dreamed of since I was a kid, to be able to play in the league and to be able to buy into an organization and become family and just to come back and to do that. My wife is from Cleveland, my daughter was born in Cleveland. Everything is just special to me about Cleveland, so it just felt good coming back here.”
Why was it so important for you guys to retire as Cleveland Browns?
Rashard Higgins: “So, I really felt like it meant something special to me because my whole motto behind everything I did was making them believe. You get what I’m saying? And I feel like in order to make them believe, somebody had to believe in me. And Cleveland was the first to believe in me. You know, I spent six years of my life here, hard years of my life here. And, you know I feel like the group that we had, we set the standard. We went to the playoffs, and that’s where the bar is, for each group that comes in here. And it only made it right to do it as a Brown, the same way I came in is the same way I gotta go out.”
So what are you guys going to do now? What’s the next step in your life’s journey?
Christian Kirksey: “Wherever God leads me, I’m into fashion, so I feel like I can always have fun in fashion. I think clothes are an expression of who you are, you can tell a lot about a person by what they wear, so that’s a hobby of mine that I definitely enjoy. Football, obviously, is something that I’ve been doing my whole life, and you learn a lot of lessons in the game, not just on the field, but off the field. You learn how to work with people of different colors, different backgrounds and you work for a common goal. So, like, football is something that’s always a part of me. So, I don’t know if that’s something that I will go into next in my career, like coaching or just being a mentor of some sort to kids. Because even if you don’t make it to the professional level, I think just playing sports teaches you a lot, so if I can help somebody that’s going to come after me, that may be something I can get into. But right now, I’m chilling, hanging out with my family, and we’ll see what God has in store for me next.”
Can you answer that question, too? Why was it important for you to do this?
Christian Kirksey: “So it was important for me to come back to Cleveland because I’m a person that, you know, Cleveland believed in. I wasn’t expecting to come to Cleveland, and, you know, I wasn’t expecting to go as high as I did in the draft. And, you know, I just remember the day that I got drafted, and I was just in disbelief that, you know, they gave me an opportunity, they gave me a chance. So, I wanted to come back full circle. I mean, I got drafted in 2014, and it’s 2024, and it’s like a whole ten years later. Being able to end my football career in the place that I started, it just meant a lot. I’ve been through a lot in Cleveland, just how Rashard (Higgins) said. I mean, I’ve been through some dark times in Cleveland as far as in the football world, we weren’t good or we had some crazy records, but I had the best times of my life here. Like I said, I met my wife here. My daughter was born here. Like, everything is bleeding Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland. Even from the ‘Dawg Checks’, to fans, they [were] coming to me and bringing me in. Just the community, being Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee here. Just going out and having my first fashion show here, having football camps here, just going and doing different charity events here, the Secret Santas. Just everything that I embody is Cleveland, it’s a blue-collar city to where, like, you gotta work hard, you gotta believe in yourself if nobody else believes in you. And I feel like everything that Cleveland embodies, that’s me. So, I just wanted to come back and pay it forward and be a part of this organization and end my career here. So that played a big part in it.”
What are you going to remember most about being a Cleveland Brown?
Rashard Higgins: “Going to the playoffs. You know, we beat the Steelers at home, and it was like, ‘Man, we’re going to the playoffs.’ And I’ll never forget that moment, worked so hard for it, the 0-16’s and next year we go 1-15 and, you get what I’m saying? And it’s like, ‘Man, this is hard.’ And to see the fruit of the labor just flourish right in front of us, that was amazing, it was amazing to go to the playoffs. I’ll never forget that moment. The whole city was lit, the food tasted better, everything. It was just fun. It was a fun moment.”
Christian Kirksey: “So, unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to go to the playoffs. The year that I left was the year they went to the playoffs. And it was a little bittersweet. It was like, ‘I wish I was there to enjoy it,’ but I was so happy to see Cleveland go to the playoffs. I was cheering them on. I guess my playoffs would have been the year went 1-15 and we won on Christmas Eve. I mean, everybody in the stands was celebrating like we won the Super Bowl. So that’s a great memory. I was just talking to Dan (Murphy) when we went on the road to Atlanta and were 7-4 and we were number one in AFC at the time – AFC North at the time. And a play that stuck out to me was when we were on special teams and we kicked the field goal and Devin Hester in the back, he catches it. He’s running down the sideline. I’m just like, ‘This is about to go crazy.’ And you just see Joel Bitonio just knee drive and he tackled Devin Hester. I’m like, ‘Joel, like, bro, you’re fast.’ And that was one of the biggest moments because we got back on the bus and, you know, it’s all in the press, like, ‘Oh, the Browns, we’re seven and four. We’re number one at AFC North.’ And that was just, you know, that was like my playoffs. But unfortunately, I didn’t actually get to go to the playoffs with Rashard. But it made my heart happy to see them boys do their thing and there’s no better way but to beat the Steelers in the playoffs. I think every Browns fan and people from Cleveland enjoyed that moment so, that was cool.”
Why do you think you guys were embraced by the fans so much?
Rashard Higgins: “Honestly, honestly, I would say just the naturality behind everything, you know, they just want you to be yourself and as long as you can catch that ball and do good for the team, then they love you for who you are, you know, doing things in the community as well. You know, I’ve done bowling events and just to give away food and we’re always there in the community, you know? And for me, growing up I never had, like, somebody to look up to as far as, ‘Oh, you know, what they were doing a turkey giveaway and I got to meet an NFL player,’ you get what I’m saying? And for us to just go out in the community and put a face behind a helmet, you know, that means a lot to kids, that means a lot to anybody. I mean, I went to a jail and spoke to guys in the jail and, if that’s what it had to come down to, then that’s what I did to make somebody happy. And at the end of the day, Cleveland fans, they want you to catch the ball and do your job. And I feel like that’s what we did at the end of the day, and that’s why they embrace us so much.”
What are you going to do in your post football career?
Rashard Higgins: “I’m trying to take care of my kids, man. It’s a headache right now, but it’s fun, you know, being a dad is fun. That’s something that’s new for me. My oldest is two. It’s something new and exciting to look up to every morning. You know, every morning is something different. Like, my son comes home and it’s like, ‘Eat, eat.’ It’s like, ‘Man, you hungry, too? I’m hungry too, bro.’ Like, but it’s fun. So right now, I’m just being a dad and just taking every day by day.”
What do you see in this Cleveland Browns team right now? I mean, do you take a lot of pride and joy in the fact that it looks like things are stable and on the up and up? And what do you think of this team?
Christian Kirksey: “Yeah, I mean, stability is, I think, the biggest thing that is the make of a team. Like, when you are somewhere and you’re stable and, you know, like, this coaching staff, the players, they’re gonna be here. Like, they can really grow and have something, you know, special going on. I look at his team, and from top to bottom, I think the roster is amazing. And I was just talking to Rashard (Higgins) as we were looking at them, do their workouts and everything. I didn’t know, like, we were this loaded at quarterback. That’s a great quarterback room. And obviously, it’s some players like, you know, the Amari Coopers and the Joel Bitonios and the Nick Chubbs, and you just look at it, you’re like, where are the holes in the roster? And it’s kind of hard to find. So I think this team is built very well. I think the coaching staff is a great coaching staff. Although I didn’t play under Kevin Stefanski, I just heard a lot of good things about him. And I think that Cleveland, just looking at ’em on paper – they got what it takes. Obviously, we know this is the NFL. You know, anything can happen, so – but when you look at it’s like, where are the weaknesses? And you really don’t see any. So I’m excited to see what Cleveland does.”
What does it say about Joel that he’s still going?
Christian Kirksey: “Man, I mean, when he tackled Devin Hester, I knew he was going to be here for a while. But, man, since I met Joel in 2014, man, he’s been the same person. He’s been consistent. And that’s the thing about being in the NFL. It’s like, it’s not the best player, it’s the most consistent player. And you can tell that he’s just put in the work. He’s on and off the field an amazing person. And when you put that together with talent, you know, you’re gonna play here for a long time. And I would like to see him, you know, stay here for as long as he can. I don’t think that he’s slowing up at any time. I think that he’s had a Pro Bowl career. I think he had seasons where it’s like, ‘Hey, man, like, you should be All-Pro. You should do this. You should do that.’ And I think that, you know, he’s showing. Showing everybody why he is doing this for a long time, because he’s consistent at what he does. And Joel is a good friend of mine, and I wish him the best and hope to see him and just, you know, congratulate him on, you know, just having a great career here and just keep it up.”
You guys talked about the memories that you had here in Cleveland, but how special is it for you guys to have left memories and cultural impacts like Christian, the Dawg Check and Rashard, the red carpet for the fans that are talking about that right now and just really excited to see you back here?
Rashard Higgins: “I really feel like the red carpet was something that we’re just playing with, you know? And, you know, OBJ (Odell Beckham Jr.) came, OBJ came and he had a swag about himself, and it was just like, ‘Man, if he gonna have a swag by himself, I can have my own swag, too, you know?’ And you think of Hollywood, you think of lights, camera, action, and it was just like, you know what? I’m gonna just – we’re gonna go out in the fashion. We gonna go in the style, and we practice it. And we practice it. And then that game came up and we did it, and it was just like, that was a staple point, you know? And that’s another reason the fans like me, bro, just being myself, and it’s just being me, you know, just playing and just having fun while we doing what we love to do. And that really meant a lot to me, you know.”
Christian Kirksey: “Oh, the red carpet is…that’s fire. You know, I wish I had those moments to get in the end zone, to do red carpet myself, but it never happened. But just like the ‘Dawg Check’, you know, actually, like me and Jamie Collins, you know, Jamie really brought it to my attention. And when you think of a ‘Dawg Check’, you think of, obviously, the Dawg Pound, but you think of in moments, of crucial moments where everything is in chaos, everything is going crazy, when the game, the momentum is switching, and things of that matter, it’s like you gotta – you yell to your boys, you yell to your brother’s, ‘Dawg Check’, to make sure you understand, like, ‘Bro, this is a moment where, like, I need you. So, like, where the dawg at in you?’ And I think that the city of Cleveland embodies it because, you know, hard work, dedication, that’s what it’s really about. And when, you know, everybody has an underdog story, you know, everybody has a story of being underlooked, overlooked, or whatever. And I think that the city of Cleveland resonates with me, because when you’re out on that field, whether it’s your field playing football, whether it’s your field being a carpenter, whether it’s your field being a doctor, whether you’re your field being a parent, like, you gotta be a dawg. It’s gonna be tough moments. It’s gonna be tough moments that you gotta understand. You gotta overcome it. You got people that’s looking up to you. You got people that’s counting on you, and it’s like, are you a dawg if you’re a dawg at your craft, like, you know, check yourself. So I think that we just embody just a lot, me and Rashard, with the city, and I think that’s why, you know, fans love me because no matter where I’m at in my life, whether it’s high or low, like, I’m going to be consistent to be the same person. So that’s why I think the city really resonates with the ‘Dawg Check.’”
Where are you guys living now?
Rashard Higgins: “I’m in Dallas.”
Christian Kirksey: “Yeah, I’m in Houston.”
Rashard Higgins: “We ain’t too far from each other. We want to do some one on ones from three hours away.”
A lot of talk here about potentially the Browns leaving the lakefront. Just wondering your thoughts on that.
Rashard Higgins: “I seen that. I seen that. I didn’t like it. The only reason it was like, man, I think we got an advantage being on that lake. You know, teams come in and it’s cold. Well, I’m from Dallas anyway, so I’m cold, too, so I don’t know. But I like change. You know, if that’s something that they do, I’m all for it, bro. I’m all for it. I seen a lot of fans was, like, kind of mad about it, but, I mean, if that’s what it is, if that’s what it boils down to, so be it. New stadium. Get rid of that old lifestyle and onto a new one.”
Christian Kirksey: “Obviously, you know, it’s a historic stadium. In my opinion. Just being on the lake, having the lake effect, you know, the Muni lot. Just, you know, just seeing that the fans just flooding the streets. When you driving through the city, game day, it just brings back so many memories of when you just…you wake up, you know, you go through your game day routine and then from – you know, I used to live in Strongsville, so from Strongsville to Downtown Cleveland, you know, a good 15-20 minutes. So you just had your preparation. And then it’s like a movie feel when you’re driving through the city. And then when you go, you know, underground, you park and you just see the lake, you see the fans and everything like that. I mean, I’m gonna miss the stadium being downtown if it was to come out here. But I understand that you gotta change it up, you know, you gotta. You gotta switch it up from time to time. But I think the city, the fans would adapt just like anything else. So I’m a fan of both because I understand this is, you know, it’s something new and it’s refreshing. But I also understand, like, you know, history. And that was home. You know, that’s like those homes that you see that still here from, you know, however many years ago. It’s a feeling and it’s an attachment to it, but, you know, some things you gotta let go. You gotta move forward.”
Do you have one more? Can I get a Dawg Check in?
Christian Kirksey: “Yeah, let me – DAWGGGG CHECK. Yeah, yeah, I got it. I got it. Hey, I still got a lot of game left in me, too you know. I already signed the papers, though, so [laughter].”