The reality of fame hit Browns defensive star Myles Garrett last week. A man posing as a fan wanting a photograph instead sucker-punched Garrett in downtown Cleveland last Wednesday.
Garrett filed a formal report and the assailant was eventually identified and captured by the Cleveland Police Department. The incident is a stark reminder that being a public figure has drawbacks.
Browns coach Freddie Kitchens noted in jest that he was happy Garrett turned the other cheek.
“I was glad the guy ran,” Kitchens told reporters on Monday. “Of course I was glad he didn’t get hurt. But Myles Garrett’s a good person. It’s just sad to see someone take advantage of a good person like that.”
Kitchens’ tone turned more serious as the coach continued to talk about the situation,
“We always stress for our guys to be careful, but who could ever seen something like that coming? You see people all the time that are wanting to take pictures or get autographs or things like that. Usually, the other part of it gets reported, the guy that won’t spend time taking a picture or signing autographs, then that guy — he’s not really fan-friendly. You hardly ever see the other side of this, which is just sad, that someone would take advantage of it like that, especially with a guy like Myles.”
