Brian Hoyer faced a volcano of media Wednesday afternoon following OTAs. While he battles fellow quarterback Duke Johnson Jr. for the starting position, he knows this is only just the beginning.
"It's the greatest sport in the country," Hoyer said about how the Cleveland Browns have dominated national headlines. "Anytime there is a big story, people want to hear about it. So I think it's great for this league and I think it's great for the team."
Leave it to Hoyer to embrace anything and everything.
While his knee is still on the mend, Hoyer was unable to perform snaps under center. So the quarterback spun that into a positive, saying his limited OTA reps have been a good experience with the pistol formation.
Don't let Hoyer's peachy attitude confuse you: he's been fighting tooth and nail for full practice reps. Hoyer said he routinely texts the coaching staff to remind them how much he wants to be out there. Hoyer's strategy is to ask for the world, and the coaching staff can hold him back all they want. His message has been received.
"At some point they might get a restraining order against me," Hoyer joked about the back-and-forth debate about his practice time.
In 18 career NFL appearances, Hoyer has started just four of games. He's never been directly handed a job in his career. But he admits this summer's competition has a different feel, because he is the clear number one the depth chart going in.
Generally, backup quarterbacks are cliché when they say they're always ready to be the starter. But ask Hoyer's teammates. He's as serious about his position as they come.
"I didn't know in week three last season I was going to be the starting quarterback of the Browns," said Hoyer of being thrown into the lineup last season. "But I felt like I always prepared myself for that. Really, that's the only way to go about it."
As for that other guy, all of Hoyer's initial thoughts on Manziel have been positive. He has observed a quiet rookie, who pays attention and jots down notes all throughout the quarterback meeting's.
"I think every expectation I've had of him, he's lived up to that," Hoyer said of his rookie teammate from Texas A&M.
