High School Football Programs

To further advance player health & safety the Browns HELMETS program, presented by Meijer and in association with University Hospitals & Xenith has distributed nearly 3,700 helmets to youth and high school football teams across Northeast Ohio and the state since 2017.

The Cleveland Browns High School Game of the Week presented by Ohio CAT and in association with ForeverLawn lets fans vote for featured match-ups, with the winning team receiving $2,000 for their football program weekly. The season concludes with the Browns naming the High School Coach of the Year, who receives $4,000 for their program.

The Cleveland Browns honor 10 high school coaches from Northeast Ohio, highlighting leadership, community engagement, and on-field success. A Browns panel selects one winner who receives $4,000 for their program and a nomination for the NFL Don Shula High School Coach of the Year award.

Each season the Cleveland Browns host a Coaches Clinic allowing Youth & High School Football coaches from across Northeast Ohio to enhance their approach as they teach the next generation of student-athletes. While introducing creative problem solving and establishing the critical fundamentals at all levels of youth football.

The following topics that are discussed:

• USA Football's "Football Development Model"
• Health and Safety of the Game
• Rookie Tackle Integration
• Girls High School Flag Football

The third-annual Cleveland Browns Coaches Corner took place on May 26th, 2022, at CrossCountry Mortgage campus. During this private OTA practice, nearly 40 head high football coaches throughout Northeast Ohio observed and learned various practice techniques, drills, skills and much more. In attendance was Denzel Ward's high school football coach, Jeff Fox, from Nordonia High School, along with Kareem Hunt's high school football coach, Matt Duffy, from Willoughby South High School. In addition, Browns Head Coach, Kevin Stefanski, invited out Gil Brooks, his Head High School Football Coach at St. Joseph's. Coaches are handpicked to attend by our Youth Football staff based on their involvement with our Youth and High School Football programming throughout the year.

The Cleveland Browns are proud supports of the Build The Bridge initiative, which seeks to "unify communities through sport" and bring together student-athletes from various racial, socio-economic and religious backgrounds in order to allow young people to recognize that they have a multitude of commonalities. On June 9th, 2022 we worked alongside Build the Bridge to host their third annual College Exposure Showcase. We welcomed 325 student-athletes from across Northeast Ohio and surrounding states, along with 125+ college coaches. Date, time and location for the 2023 Showcase will be released soon.

The Cleveland Browns Girls High School Flag Football Program, presented by Gatorade and in partnership with Bridgestone, empowers high school female student-athletes in flag football. The program aims to enhance skills, educate coaches and parents, and advocate for the sanctioning of Girls High School Flag Football as a varsity sport through the OHSAA.

The annual GCFCA East-West High School All-Star Scholarship Football Game is presented by the Cleveland Browns & University Hospitals. This All-Star game features the top Senior football players from across Northeast Ohio, all of which have committed to take their talents to the collegiate level, across various Divisions. In 2022, Cleveland Browns Running Back, John Kelly Jr. spoke to both teams the evening before the All-Star Game, he offered tips and provided advice about what it takes to be successful at the next level.

As part of the Cleveland Browns continued commitment to advance player safety in youth and high school football, the Browns and University Hospitals teamed up to place two certified athletic trainers at John Hay and James Ford Rhodes High Schools.

The Cleveland Browns High School Showcase, in association with University Hospitals, Xenith & Gatorade is designed for high school Sophomores & Juniors who want to continue their playing career at the collegiate level. The event will feature combine-style testing as well as position-specific drills, which includes passing, route running, lineman work, agility drills, plus much more.

Registration Opens January 2025