'Signing day' for Quinn

08.13.2007

Quarterback Brady Quinn hadn't faced a rush like that since last year's game against Southern Cal.

The golden boy from the Golden Dome -- the No. 22 overall pick in the NFL Draft out of Notre Dame -- participated in his first public training camp practice as a member of the Browns on Monday afternoon.

The Dublin, Ohio native ended his 12-day holdout and signed a five-year contract last Tuesday night. He got out onto the field Wednesday in a practice that was closed to the public, and Thursday's public session was rained out and pushed indoors, which made it closed to the public as well.

So at long last, he got to practice in front of the fans on Monday. They hadn't even seen him throw a pass yet, since he was one of just two Browns who did see action in last Saturday night's 16-12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns Stadium in the preseason opener.

Normally in camp, Mondays draw the smallest crowds. Call it the hangover from the weekend.

But with Quinn in the field, this was no average Monday, so a nearly full house of 2,409 attended.

In a town where the local team's quarterback has more name recognition than the mayor -- again, with all due respect to Frank Jackson -- this was, without question, Brady Quinn's day.

As practices go, it was pretty mundane. Like most rookie quarterbacks in their first days of camp as they try to learn the offense and adjust to the speed of the pro game, Quinn made some good plays and some not-so-good ones.

But it was after practice when the fun really started.

Quinn went to the far side of the opposite practice field to sign autographs. When fans saw what was happening, they sprinted on the asphalt walkway to that spot. If Browns head coach Romeo Crennel had been there with a stopwatch, he might have signed a few of them.

In no time, Quinn was surrounded by well over a hundred fans -- and counting. They surged to try to get to him so he could sign their helmet, jersey, arm, whatever.

"That pole's about to give," someone said of a small stake that supports a rope surrounding the practice field.

So, too, was his protection about to give, or so it seemed.

Instead of five 300-pounde linemen, as he had at Notre Dame and now with the Browns, warding off the rushers, he had 10 155-pound Tenable security guards on each side of him. They asked for calm and order as they tried to gently push back the throng while it attempted to get a piece of Quinn.

Quinn might have stood there and signed all night -- with the help of a flashlight -- had it not been for the Browns own security personnel. One guard told another standing next to Quinn that it was time to wrap it up.

"I guess I get to be the bad guy again," said the guard closest to Quinn.

He grabbed the quarterback just above the waist and pulled him around away from the crowd and turned him around. Quinn was being sacked by his own people.

Time for meetings. Time for film study.

Heck, first it was time to shower and eat.

Gotta go.

A surprised look on his face, Quinn tossed the marker to a security guard. He had dumped the thing off just in time. Whether he was in the grasp or not will have to be determined by watching instant replay.

"I'll see you tomorrow, guys," he said to the cheering fans as he took off jogging toward the locker room.