At the beginning of June, SB Nation posted their interview with Cleveland Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson at the Rookie Premiere. The people at SB Nation Studios just finished posting the remaining interviews they conducted back at the Rookie Premiere, and one of them was with quarterback Brandon Weeden. Like Richardson, Weeden gives a nice little shout out to "Dawgs By Nature." For those who want the cliff notes version of the interview, I have posted a summary after the jump.
- What Was Rookie Premiere Week Like? It was a packed schedule, but fun being around all the other guys and taking part in all of the events.
- Did He Meet Anyone Who He Didn't Know Before? No one, he knew everyone. From the combine to all of the other rookie events that have taken place, everyone already knows or had met each other.
- When He First Got The Draft Call, What Was The First Thing On His Mind? Lots of emotions -- he talked to Heckert, but he doesn't remember what he said. He was just so happy and fist-bumping everyone around him.
- What Does He Know About Cleveland? It's cold, and they have very passionate fans.
- How Old Are You [sarcastically]? How Often Do People Ask About Your Age? People asked every single day over the three-month span of interviews he's been doing. Every interview asks it. He jokingly says he hopes people stop asking. His story is so unique though; it doesn't happen every year, so he understands why he's getting the attention.
- Did His Teammates Ever Give Him a Hard Time About His Age? On his 27th birthday, at Oklahoma State, safety Markelle Martin brought him a cane, some depends, and some balloons, which was NOT cool. He expected something worse at 28, but he didn't get any presents. Side note: Martin was drafted in the 6th round by the Tennessee Titans.
- Favorite Part Of Baseball Career? Being a pitcher, he liked that the ball is always in your hand. He liked the competitive nature of attacking hitters, playing a mental game, and thinking ahead. Giving up a home run is similar to throwing an interception, and there are similarities to football. Football is a bit more physical than baseball, of course. He threw up and in a lot at hitters, but no one ever charged him.
- Going Forward, What Are Some Of The Challenges in Transitioning to The NFL? Everyone will be good, the speed gets greater, a lot less mistakes by defenses, tighter windows, no one is wide open, the offense gets more sophisticated, etc. He plans to go and compete for the starting job with McCoy; should be a fun process.
- His Thoughts on Trent Richardson? He's one of the best backs in the country. He's a freak -- a man on a mission every time he touches it. He's got a chance to make the Browns offense a lot better.
Weeden also encouraged fans to follow him on Twitter at @bweeden3 and says he'll try to interact with the fans a little bit.