Myles Garrett knows that his shocking helmet-hitting assault on Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph last season will always follow. It is part of their legacy, unwanted or not.
He said he won’t let me define it.
“My life is bigger than a moment,” Garrett said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since November 14, when he tore off Rudolph’s helmet and hit him over the head during the closing seconds of a nationally televised game, Garrett touched on a wide range of subjects during a 25-minute video . conference.
Garrett said he has had no communication with Rudolph or Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin since the ugly incident, in which the NFL suspended him for six games. He has said in the past that Rudolph used a racial slur towards him. He hopes they can eventually resolve any differences.
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“I have no ill intention towards any of them,” he said. “If we are able to talk, we will take care of things as adult men, and that is fine with me. I am just going to keep my eyes forward and focus on the plan and the goal.”
On Wednesday, the former No. 1 overall pick signed a five-year, $ 125 million, $ 100 million guaranteed contract extension, making him the highest-paid defensive player in the league. Garrett appreciates that the Browns have never wavered in their support after the incident with Rudolph, and they believe that the talented 24-year-old has only scratched the surface of his potential.
Garrett believes it, too, and wants to reward the Browns for their loyalty.
“Now, it is time to show it,” he said. “They have faith in me, and now, I have to give them a reason to have that faith … Now that they have put up that banner that I am the highest paid, I have to insert myself as the best dog.”
In the nearly eight months since that time against the Steelers, Garrett has spent time reflecting on his career and where he wants to take it. Garrett, one of the game’s top pass riders, is not satisfied with just being good.
He’s chasing greatness, for himself and the Browns, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2002 and are coming off a very disappointing season.
“If it starts this year or how many years has it been,” he said. “I want to take Cleveland to that promised land.”
Garrett knows that the attack on Rudolph will surely lead to more accusations that he is a dirty player. Even before ripping off Rudolph’s helmet, Garrett had been penalized and fined for another aggressive game last season. Despite the perceptions, Garrett has no plans to change his style.
“I don’t think I’m walking on eggshells when I’m on the field, racking my brain about not trying to be a dirty player, because I’ve never been that,” he said. “I’m going to do my best to play within the rules and play my best … The media is going to say what they want from me. I am what you say I am. I’m just going to play the game like I always have. played and that’s not dirty.
“However, it seems that I want the respect of my family and friends and some of my colleagues. I respect those around me, whom I have grown up with, whom I have played with and who have earned my respect. Other than that, what is said goes down the road. “
The offseason has been a time of exercise and reflection for Garrett. She was personally touched by recent protests across the country calling for racial justice and contacted two families who lost loved ones during the riots and offered to pay for their funerals.
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Garrett intends to do more with his platform to help people in Northeast Ohio and his home state of Texas, as well as “those I haven’t met and can’t reach yet.”
He also wants the NFL to do more to affect social change. The league’s recognition that it should have done a better job listening to its players was a good start, he said. Garrett wants more.
“I feel like they should have a bigger voice,” he said. “They have a lot of access to resources. They should be able to speak. I think Kap (Colin Kaepernick) deserves an apology. I know it is one thing to stand behind us and support our efforts, but they should be by our side in what we are doing. I feel like they should be right next to us trying to steer the load. “
