Hue Jackson is a man of his word. Nearly a year after pledging to jump into Lake Erie should the Browns go 1-15 in his second season with the club, Jackson…
Hue Jackson is a man of his word.
Nearly a year after pledging to jump into Lake Erie should the Browns go 1-15 in his second season with the club, Jackson doubled down on his promise Wednesday, saying he would be going swimming regardless of whether winless Cleveland finds a way to defeat the 12-3 Steelers on Sunday.
“I made that statement,” Jackson said, via ESPN . “I got to back it up.”
With the odds stacked against the Browns, as they take on playoff-bound Pittsburgh, the second-year head coach has no plans to go back on his season-old vow.
“I got to,” Jackson said. “How? You just jump in. When? That’s going to be at my convenience and hopefully I can get a lot of people to come out. It’d be something that we’re going to make special.
“I don’t like it. Don’t like to do it for the reason why I’m having to do it, but I have to make do on my word. I just think that’s what you do,” he continued.
Jackson plans to pick a date of his “convenience,” leading many to believe he’ll be taking the plunge once the water temperature rises above the freezing mark. The event will benefit the Hue Jackson Foundation, which focuses on ending human trafficking within the Cleveland area.
As for his future in Cleveland, with new general manager John Dorsey in place and owner Jimmy Haslam’s verbal vote of confidence Dec. 3, Jackson believes he’ll return next season.
“I unequivocally believe without question that what Jimmy Haslam said is going to happen here,” Jackson said. “There is nothing that anybody has said to me is making me feel differently.”
Though Jackson’s to-be-determined dive will give the Dogpound something to cheer about, Browns faithful are also gearing up for the team’s 0-16 “Perfect Season” parade, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 6. Creator Chris McNeil has already surpassed his $10,000 goal on GoFundMe, raising $11,683 to date.
“I urge you to come out on January 6th to show your support for our owner, Jimmy Haslam, and his entire front office for the product they put on the field every Sunday (not Monday night, of course, because we aren’t good enough to get that slot),” McNeil posted on his page. “We will parade around First Energy Stadium and culminate with a post-party at a soon to be determined location.”
Should the Browns score a win Sunday, McNeil plans to donate funds raised to the Cleveland Food Bank.
