When WR Denzel Boston and WR KC Concepcion Jr. arrived in Cleveland, they had conversations with one another about wanting to inspire the youth in the local community. Helping and giving back to the community quickly became priorities for the rookie wide receivers.

On Sept. 15, the two were able to give back, making an appearance at the Browns' Gym Class Takeover, presented by Meijer, at Lorain Bilingual Academy. The Gym Class Takeover was the first of four that will be hosted by the Browns throughout the 2026 fall semester.

"It's important to me because when I was a little kid, I always wished that things like this would go on for me," Boston said. "And being able to be in the position I am in now and being able to go work with those kids (and) put smiles on their faces when you never know what's going on with them at home or outside of school. So, making sure that they have a connection to something that brings joy to their life."

As Boston and Concepcion were introduced in the gymnasium, smiles crept across their faces as students in attendance cheered in excitement.

Boston and Concepcion spoke about the to the students about the importance of school and how they wouldn't be where they are without their education. The students asked Boston and Concepcion different football-related questions, from what their favorite pregame snack and pregame hype song is to what they would be doing if they weren't football players.

When the assembly finished, Boston and Concepcion presented Lorain Bilingual Academy with a check for $2,500 on behalf of the Cleveland Browns Foundation and Meijer to further support the school's attendance efforts.

After the assembly, students who were chosen for their strong or improved attendance participated in six different non-contact flag football related stations, including agility drills, tic-tac-toe and a Simon says game. Boston threw a football to students after they made their way through a football agility latter at one station while Concepcion helped them work on maneuvering and throwing the football at another.

"My favorite part (was) whenever we first came out," Concepcion said. "Everybody was dancing, everybody was having fun. I feel like to these kids, it just means a little bit more for us to come out here."

The Gym Class Takeover was hosted as part of the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, which was launched in 2019 by the Cleveland Browns Foundation and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, now managed by Battelle. The Network works to reduce chronic school absenteeism and partners with 194 districts in Ohio, impacting 601,000 students.  

The Lorain Bilingual Academy has been a member of the Network since the 2023-24 school year. Over that time, the school has seen an improvement in its attendance numbers.

"Our attendance has grown over the last few years due to the Stay in the Game! program, which has been very successful for us," Lorain Bilingual Academy Assistant Principal Joe Akosi said. "Students are happier to come to school, they're smiling, coming up with friends with each other. So, I feel it's very important. Our test scores (and) our academics are going up the last few years as well, so we're happy to see that here at the school."

Along with their commitment to improving school attendance, the Browns are also dedicated to advancing youth and high school football in Northeast Ohio. They accomplish this by promoting participation, equity and development through their year-round programming that includes camps and clinics. Through these initiatives, the Browns aim to promote the emotional, intellectual, social and physical growth of young athletes while establishing equal opportunities for youth football participation.

Browns Flag In-Schools is one of their initiatives, which is live in 16 SITG! districts across Ohio. Browns Flag In-Schools is a turn-key flag football implementation model provided to physical education teachers that establishes a base for lifelong physical activity for their students. The program works in tandem with Stay in the Game! by providing school-based activities to further engage students and increase school attendance. Gym Class Takeovers, presented by Meijer, are one of those experiences for schools activating Browns Flag In-Schools.

"I love the flag football program (and) introducing more kids to football," Lorain Bilingual Academy Family and Community Liaison Lynne Pilcher said. "I just really want to thank the Stay in the Game! Program and the Cleveland Browns. Everything that they do for us, it's huge. It's made such an impact."