How One Browns Fan's Tragedy Cemented His Fandom

When I went to my first game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, I was like, Oh my God, you guys play in this place?

There were, like, 30 outhouses. It was a dump. I’d just been to Indianapolis, where they’d built a brand-new stadium. 

But when I ripped [the stadium] in front of some co-workers, along with the poor ownership and management at the time, they almost ripped my head off. That’s when I realized how dedicated the fans were. I mean, it was beyond human. Since then, I’d always been trying to be a true Browns fan.

[Last year], I was in the hospital for a wound on my right leg, and I got a double staph infection on my left leg. My immune system couldn’t fight it off. I was in so much pain I was hallucinating. In October, I told the surgeon, “Cut this thing off now.” 

I went to a rehab facility until December, a senior citizen-type place. Every Sunday, everybody would watch the Browns game. These old-timers, 70-80 years old, were like kids again, jumping and cheering. It was so great.

When fitting my second [prosthetic leg] socket, the prosthetist made a cut to relieve some pressure. That looks like a Browns bone, I thought. 

I spray-painted [the prosthetic] orange and the “bone” brown. I used electrical tape to make the stripes. I found decals on the internet: the dawg, the elf and the helmet logos. The hardest part was waiting for the paint to dry. I was so excited to get the stickers on there.

My son told me to post a picture in the Cleveland Browns fan page on Facebook. I wasn’t so sure because I wasn’t a diehard who was born here. 

I think [the likes] topped out around 950. Three or four other amputees even asked how I did that, wanting to make their own.

Since 1992, I’d always been trying to feel like a Browns fan. Now, I can say I don’t care about the [Indianapolis] Colts any more. I’m a Browns fan.  — as told to Dillon Stewart