While We’re Waiting… Hafner’s Shoulder, Training Camp Eve, and Cleveland Fan Hatred
July 30, 2010Cleveland Athlete Twitter Tourney: The Finals
July 30, 2010I had the privilege to speak with Carlton Mitchell. Here are pieces of that conversation. Carlton was drafted in the 6th round out of South Florida. He gave up his Senior season to enter the draft. At USF he ran the 400 meters for the track team. He is the son of a professional basketball player, as his father Carl played in Europe. His mother is no stranger to sports either, but we’ll let Carlton tell you about that.
“My mother is a nurse and an anesthesiologist. And she’s a cut-woman for Antonio Tarver. She also manages a fighter. She works with the Buccaneer Swashbucklers, the cheerleaders. In the fifth grade I actually did some stuff on the sidelines with them. I was actually there when Keyshawn (Johnson) scored his first touchdown.”
On sports growing up-
“I did football, basketball and track. But baseball was my first sport. I did pitcher, first base and third. Actually, that was my first love, baseball, but my friends all went out for football, so I went out with them. Then I fell in love with that sport and stopped playing baseball altogether.”
On a growth spurt-
“I’m 6’3” and my growth spurt, my father and my brother keep telling me I’m gonna hit a growth spurt cause my father is 6’8” and my brother is 6’10” and they both grew until they were 25.”
On the draft process-
“It was a very long process, as far as the whole thing, it was at times very draining because you have to do so much and in so little time, they try to squeeze everything in. The interviews at the combine, that was the longest weekend of my life at the combine. Then there was all the team visits. I even had to go on visits on my birthday.”
On his injury (an ankle injury that caused him to miss several games last season)-
“My last Bowl game over in Canada, I could still feel it a little bit. It wasn’t serious. By the time the combine came, I was more than ready. There was a lot of pulling and poking at the combine, teams just double checking and making sure, but I was told I was very healthy.”
On Cleveland-
“I haven’t had much time to get out and do stuff, but when I was here for OTA’s we got a little time and I would go out with the other guys to get something to eat to go see a movie or drive around the city to check things out. And so far as I’ve seen it’s a great place. It’s a lot different from Florida. I know a lot of people talk about the snow and cold weather, and it’s a little different from what I’m used to but I could get used to it very quick. People here are amazing, the fans, true diehards. I’ve never been around true diehard fans before. So that helps the process a lot.”
On the team-
“As far as the veterans, they’ve been very helpful. Every little bit of information they can share with us, they are willing to share. Say you are having a bad day, you’re at your locker, your head’s down, one of the veterans will come up to you with words of encouragement. A few of the veterans during OTA’s we had a bible study at one of the players’ houses with our team chaplain and we had about 8-12 of us there. That was a very nice thing.”
On his faith-
“My faith has definitely grown since I have been here. I’m trying to do my part little by little and if I can help just one person then I’m doing good enough.”
On camp-
“I’m looking forward to picking up on the information and earning the trust of my teammates and the coaches. My first goal is making the 53 man roster. I’m taking it one step at a time trying do all the right things. And to do my job, I can’t worry about doing too much, I just have to do what the coaches ask me to do to the best of my ability. I’ll kick field goals, or anything they want me to do.”
On twitter-
“I kinda didn’t know how to use twitter at first, I always stayed away from it. I didn’t do it until after the draft because I didn’t want to have too many distractions. As far as my account goes, I love having it, I love interacting with people. I love keeping people informed. I try to share as much as I can without getting in trouble. I try to keep my Twitter positive. I put up my bible verses every morning for people starting their day. I do it for the fans mostly.”
On NFL twitter policy-
“They definitely talked to us about it. I always look at everything before I post it, I make sure I think it through. I make sure it’s not gonna make the club look bad, my family look bad, or myself look bad. For the most part, I try to put all positive things out there.”
Thanks Carlton for taking a few minutes to talk with us. You have fans here that hope you make the club, and make an impact this season.
(Photo from clmitch18’s Twitpic account.)
10 Comments
“People here are amazing, the fans, true diehards. I’ve never been around true diehard fans before. So that helps the process a lot.”
Have fun in Florida, Lebron.
@Max, that would be awesome. Hopefully CMitch drops by and reads that comment.
I think he has the potential and ability to be a solid receiver. Time will tell if he will be a number one. But he has the tools. I’m glad to hear about his faith. but, reading his twitter you get can tell he’s a religious guy.
Welcome to Cleveland, as long as you’re wearing that jersey, and you’re not Derek Anderson, you will be loved by North East Ohio. Oh, you won’t be loved by the Steeler fans that populate the area. But, they’re worthless anyways.
This draft class may be the best we’ve had in a long time. Hopefully better than 2006 when we got Wimbley, Jackson, Harrison and Vickers.
I hope that growth spurt comes. Imagine a 6’6 or 6’5 receiver on the Browns. That would be nice.
here’s to hoping he busts out the “Carlton” as his end zone dance more than a few times this season
Could this guy be any more likable?
Good luck on making the team, you have a new fan in me.
@EZ. For #6 to be affected by whether fans are die hard or not, he would have to care about fans. We know he doesn’t.
@The Other Tim- after talking with him yesterday, the answer to your question is no. He is a really great kid, and I hope he has great success here.
“she’s a cut-woman for Antonio Tarver. She also manages a fighter.”
awesome.
“growth spurt”
well, lifting and the physical toll of the NFL might mitigate that growth spurt, which could be a good thing because you don’t want to be growing into your frame at this level anyway.
“I’ve never been around true diehard fans before”
he knows how to play to the home crowd who hate the entire state of Florida (between the ’97 Marlins, Gators in Fball and Bball, the Magic in ’09 and now the Heat).
and hey, who knows, maybe the Browns got their Marques Colston this year (late round WR who surprises everyone)
@mgbode
“he knows how to play to the home crowd who hate the entire state of Florida (between the ’97 Marlins, Gators in Fball and Bball, the Magic in ’09 and now the Heat).”
Why would you hate UF? The reason I ask is, I myself am a Gator, but I root for Cleveland pro sports teams (born in FL, family from Cleveland, strange, I know). Marlins and Magic make sense, we should have beat those teams. Heat, well that goes without saying. I get upset when my team loses, but I don’t hate a better team just because they won. And clearly, a 27-point drubbing of an overrated team as well as the other losing to the same team (who would become the first since Duke to win B2B) twice in a season qualifies as getting beat by definitively better teams. I have more of an animosity towards the New England area myself thanks to the Celtics and Red Sox.
sounds like he’s got a good head on his shoulders. if that translates into becoming a solid football player, so much the better. but he’s raw, so let’s not expect too much out of him too soon.
Luckily, I had Carlton as one of the Brown’s picks in my draft. Great interview. He is a super guy and I hope he becomes the next Paul Warfield, Reggie Langhorne. I was really impressed with “high” character guys the Browns drafted this year and CM is near the top. Wishing you huge successes, CM!