Berea, Ohio – Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has added a new coaching point of view this season thanks to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
“Unbelievable,” Reece said. “We try to tell our guys, like when you think Harold is being tackled, maybe he isn’t. So, keep playing throughout the game and keep blocking for him and keep running because that block could be the difference of a 12-yard gain and if we stick with it, there’s really no one left.”
Somehow, Fannin has turned the difficult task of picking up yards after the catch – or YAC, as it is affectionately abbreviated in football circles – into an art.
On Sunday against the Raiders, this was evident on 17- and 15-yard catches, as he broke multiple tackles on each play. On a 17-yarder on first-and-10 in the first quarter, it took three Raiders defenders to bring him down.
“It’s inspiring, because when nobody else is fighting, Harold is always fighting,” said freshman running back Dylan Sampson. “Regardless of the score, regardless of the game. So it’s a testament to him and his mentality and how he attacks the different roles they’re asking him to play in this offense at a very young age.”
For Fannin, it’s inspiring to know that his YAC ability helps energize his teammates.
“It’s nice to hear that I inspire other guys in this locker room,” he told cleveland.com. “I mean, I wouldn’t think that just because we’re all in the NFL, but it’s good to hear.”
Against the Raiders, Fannin completed four of six targets for 40 yards.
However, according to Pro Football Focus tracking data, he actually gained 44 yards after the catch, thanks to passes caught behind the line of scrimmage.
Among qualifying rookie tight ends, he ranks second with 241 yards after the catch for the season and is averaging 5 yards per reception. He leads the Browns in that category as well.
So, what exactly is it about Fannin that allows him to be so successful once the ball is in his hands?
“I think it’s a mentality,” Fannin said. “I grew up playing running back and stuff like that. So whenever I get the ball, I just try to fall forward. That’s really it. That’s really it. I just try to fall forward.”
The first consensus All-American in Bowling Green State University program history, he led the FBS last year with 117 receptions and 1,555 receiving yards (both single-season FBS TE records).
After the Browns selected her No. 67 overall in April, Browns GM Andrew Berry called her “their queen on the chessboard” and praised her for being a good ball-in-hand player.
Fannin has continued to show these qualities even during a poor season for the 3-8 Browns.
“He has tremendous body control, he has tremendous contact balance and strength,” Rees said. “It’s one of those innate things that he has. I don’t have a big reason why he’s able to do that, other than he’s strong and he has good balance, and he has a real desire to fight through those plays and find ways to maximize yardage. It’s a really impressive trait.”
In a season short of bright spots, Fannin’s consistent fight after the catch has become one thing the Browns can still rely on – a rookie refusing to go down, no matter how many hits come his way.
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