Corey Coleman was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. But ask the Browns rookie wide receiver whether he was raised a Cowboys fan and he'll offer a wide smile and play coy.
"Hey, I play for the Cleveland Browns," he said Thursday, laughing. "We're going to talk about the Cleveland Browns."
Still, it makes sense that this Sunday's game against Dallas, perhaps, carries extra meaning for Coleman, who will make his return to the field after a broken hand sidelined him for the past five weeks. He'll do so in front of seven family members, who will fly in from Texas to Cleveland to watch him play.
Coleman, who caught five passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens in Week 2, said he doesn't expect to miss a beat this weekend.
"I expect to pick right back up," Coleman said. "(The team has been) doing an unbelievable job, the way they've handled the situation when I was out, the way the process they had a plan for me that was really good."
Coleman, who returned to the practice field last week, is poised to give Cleveland's offense another threat in the pass game with uncertainty still surrounding who might start at quarterback this weekend.
"He has had a really good week," said coach Hue Jackson, who added Coleman is full-go in the team's practice sessions. "He did a great job of having a great practice today."
Much like Coleman, Jackson said he's optimistic the first-round draft pick from Baylor will be able to continue the momentum he mounted in September.
"There could be, obviously, because he hasn't played a lot, but if I know Corey – one thing, I think the staff, our medical staff and our strength and conditioning staff did a great job of when he wasn't available to catch the ball — we kept him in it quite a bit," he said.
"I saw him on numerous occasions on the other field running through the scripts and doing those things. Hopefully, it is a faster transition, but obviously, we won't know until he plays."
What's more clear, however, is why Sunday could be a memorable afternoon for Coleman — who will have his family in the stands — and the Browns as they search for their first win of the season.
"That's really special to me," he said.
