This Sunday the Browns will start rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in his NFL debut against the Vikings. Notably, Gabriel will be the first quarterback to make his first NFL start abroad, as the game is set to kick off from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London as a part of the league’s international series.
Under normal circumstances, a quarterback making the first start of his career would bring out family and friends from across the country for support, but unfortunately, Gabriel’s parents won’t be in attendance on Sunday.
“Fun fact: Need to get my dad a passport. So we’re learning about that,” Gabriel joked with reporters on Friday. “Second, just a little later in the week, so mom and dad, it's from Hawai'i, you can imagine that flight’s even further than what we just did.”
Given their home in Hawai'i, Gabriel’s family was already going to have to do some pretty drastic last-minute traveling to see his first start no matter where it was made. The fact that the trip would be a stretch further than the East coast of America undoubtedly added some difficulty.
Also, you never think you’re going to need your passport to see your son make his first NFL start until the moment you do. A tale as old as time.
The Browns will be back in the States next week for a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, so at the very least, the Gabriel family has some extra time to plan for his second start.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dillon Gabriel’s Parents Will Miss His NFL Debut for Painfully Simple Reason.
