He Soars Seven Feet in the Air. He Evades Opponents with Ease
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He soars seven feet in the air. He evades opponents with ease. Superman? Not quite. Browns rookie DAVID NJOKU just wants to be the next great tight end. avid Njoku is not a circus act, but he has been called a freak hundreds of times. One of his fellow rookies on the Browns, quarterback Deshone Kizer, used that word HE’S NO FLOP to describe Njoku after a weekend of practice. Njoku uses the A 2016 headline in the Miami Herald called him a “leaping, skills he perfected during his career pass-catching freak.” Another headline referred to his as a high jumper “freakociousness.” to leap over Freak athlete? Yeah, Njoku has heard it. “Since high school,” defenders for he says with a big laugh. “It’s funny. I just try to work really touchdowns. His hard to make sure that I’m in my best shape.” athleticism and power propelled So while this high-jumping, touchdown-scoring tight end him from Miami to doesn’t mind his distinction as the NFL’s most athletic rookie, Cleveland, where he’s focused on bigger things. the Browns hope “I just want to win games,” he says. “I don’t care how.” he will become the NFL’s next star Jumping-Off Point tight end. Njoku comes from a big family that places an emphasis on academics and athletics. “Brains and bods,” he says. Growing up TODD ROSENBERG/AP (TOP); COURTESY OF EAG SPORTS MANAGEMENT (HIGH JUMP); ROB FOLDY/GETTY IMAGES 40 / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS (MIAMI FOOTBALL); NICK CAMMETT/DIAMOND IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES (BROWNS ROOKIE CAMP) BRAINS and BRAWN Njoku comes from a high- Sky-High Future achieving family. His sister So how does a 20-year-old with Faith ran track at Rutgers- Newark and is now a 26 games of collegiate experience medical student. become a first-round pick? In Hartley’s as one of nine children in Cedar the track and field program at Miami. mind, it came down to two plays. Grove, New Jersey, Njoku was In addition to coaching numerous freshman year. But his The first was in a 27–13 win over constantly running around and track stars such as Lauryn future was headed North Carolina State last November. playing with his siblings. The group is Williams—one of five athletes to win towards football. As he On a five-yard route, Njoku caught a mix of high-octane athletes and a medal at both the Summer and bulked up, his added the ball, turned inside, pivoted high-level intelligence. His oldest Winter Games—she’s worked with muscle affected his high outside, and went for 23 yards. “It brother, Innocent, is a neurosurgeon. future NFL players Artie Burns of the jump skills. (Most high was like, My goodness,” Hartley says. His sister Gladys was a high jumper at Steelers, Duke Johnson of the Browns, jumpers are wiry and The second was in Miami’s bowl Division III Stevens Institute of and Lamar Miller of the Texans. lanky.) Still, he went win over West Virginia. The Technology. And David doesn’t even Njoku’s athleticism stood out from back and forth—track Hurricanes ran a bubble screen, a think he’s the most athletic member of the beginning. from January to May play often thrown to a receiver. “Not his family—that would be his “We were pretty excited,” Deem and football from June at Miami when you have Njoku,” youngest brother, Charles, a says. “He definitely looked the part.” to December—until Hartley says. He broke a tackle, 15-year-old receiver at Wayne Hills And when Todd Hartley, the declaring for the draft avoided a face-plant, and went (New Jersey) High. Miami football team’s new tight end after Miami’s 23 yards for a touchdown. In high school, Njoku was a star. coach, first saw Njoku in a preseason bowl victory in These highlights helped convince As a wide receiver, he caught conditioning drill in 2016, he was December 2016. the Browns to trade back into the 76 career passes for 1,794 yards and similarly floored. “You see this big “He was just one of the kids when playing and a time for being serious.” says. “When it comes to playing first round and select him with the 19 touchdowns. He also rushed for six 6'4" guy, 240 pounds—they’re not he was with us,” Deem says. “If you Njoku lives out this saying. When football, I use [meditation] to help me 29th pick. more touchdowns. In track, Njoku supposed to move like that,” Hartley didn’t know he was a football player, he went over to Hartley’s house for relax and focus.” Njoku, who turns 21 on July 10, is was a champion jumper. At says. “He’s a national champion high he fit right in like he was with us dinner, he greeted the coach’s wife, Understanding that there is a time one of the NFL’s youngest players. New Balance nationals in 2014, he jumper. At 6'4". Who does that?” 12 months a year. He just meshed Jessica, with a big hug. “He barely for everything allowed him to brush But with his skills from the high won the high jump with a leap of Njoku balanced track and football with everybody right off the bat.” knew me,” Hartley says. “It didn’t off mistaking Browns Pro Bowl left jump—which he says give him pure 3 6'11". He set his personal best, 7'1", at for two seasons. He jumped 6'10 ⁄4" at matter. He genuinely cared about me tackle Joe Thomas for a coach—“in power and help him win jump the state section title as a senior. His the McCravy Memorial meet in Fun and Focused and my family.” my defense, he didn’t have a name balls—expect the Browns to target talent set up him for a two-sport Kentucky, the second highest mark in When Njoku was growing up, his His serious side enjoys meditation. tag!”—then go to his first minicamp the rookie a lot in the end zone. You career at the University of Miami. school history. On the gridiron, he father, Innocent, had a saying he “It brought me into a comfortable and become the main attraction. can bet Njoku will have fun Amy Deem has seen a lot of great caught 21 passes for 362 yards and a often repeated: “There’s always a place where I can control my “It was fun,” he says. “But very celebrating. And then he’ll get right athletes in her time as the director of TD his redshirt time for everything. A time for thoughts and calm down,” Njoku competitive.” back to work. n Njoku isn’t the only track star to find a home in the NFL. There’s a long history of sprinters, throwers, MICHAEL CARTER MARQUISE GOODWIN JEFF DEMPS At the University of Texas, and jumpers who have MARGUS HUNT Carter is the only athlete to The former Florida Gator won WILLIE GAULT Hunt was a world junior win an Olympic medal and Goodwin won two NCAA Gault was speedy on the track matched their medal- MICHAEL BATES multiple NCAA titles and took championships in the long jump and a productive receiver champion in both shot put BOB HAYES Super Bowl ring in the same Bates won a bronze medal silver at the 2012 Olympics in Bullet Bob tied a world and earned Offensive MVP in the NFL. He was part of a winning track exploits with and discus. When the native year. He took silver in the at the 1992 Olympics in the the 4x100 relay. (The team record in the 100-meter dash of the 2012 Alamo Bowl. He world-record-setting 4x100 of Estonia arrived at SMU, he shot put at the 1984 Games, 200 meters. The next year, later lost its medal because big plays on the gridiron. at the 1964 Olympics, then qualified for the ’12 Olympics, U.S. relay team in 1983 at the started playing football. He’s then won Super Bowl XIX as a he started to make his mark Tyson Gay had tested positive Call this the All-Athlete played 10 seasons in the finishing 10th, and is entering world championships and been a productive defensive 49ers defensive tackle. as a kick returner in the NFL. for drugs.) On the gridiron, NFL. He’s still the Cowboys’ his fifth season in the NFL. played 11 seasons in the NFL, Superteam! end for four NFL seasons. A five-time Pro Bowler, Bates Demps played one year with career leader in receiving He’s a receiver for the 49ers. scoring 45 touchdowns. was named to the NFL’s 1990s the Buccaneers as a returner touchdowns (71). All-Decade team. and running back. RON SCHWANE/AP (NJOKU); ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES (HUNT); NEIL LEIFER (HAYES); PAUL BENOIT/AP (CARTER); 42 / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS JOHN BIEVER (BATES); CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP (DEMPS); STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES (GOODWIN); BILL FRAKES (GAULT).