Browns All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin joined the Pat McAfee Show this week to talk about the Browns sudden ascension into playoff contender and a variety of other topics.
One of the more interesting points came when Conklin admitted that the brutal loss to the Ravens in Week 1 was a net positive.
“We took a beating that first week against the Ravens and I think that was really what woke us up. We figured hey, it made guys have to buy in and figure out how we can be successful all together.”
He mentioned how the team missed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for most of the season and did not blink in saying the star wideout will be back in 2021.
“It’s a bunch of cool guys,” Conklin said to McAfee. “Like you said it’s a bunch of personalities, but I think we’re all pretty young guys, we’re all guys that are trying to build something here. We’re all sort of bought into the same mindset.”
That includes Beckham, the celebrated wide receiver.
“My locker was right next to Odell’s (Beckham),” Conklin continued. “I’d talk to him after practice about stuff. Whether we were upset about different things, we were able to hash that stuff out. I think that’s what makes a good team and what makes teams get better and better, when you have that open communication between guys. You might be frustrated with something but if you can get that off your chest and sort of hear what the other guy’s side of stuff is and why they think things will work it sort of helps hash things out.”
Conklin also shows off his gnarled pinkie finger from playing, and it’s not pretty.
The full segment from Conklin’s interview is available on YouTube, beginning around the 1:06:00 mark:
