The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
BROWNS Coach Hue Jackson’s plunge aids a cause
Coach keeps word, helps raise $30,000 to fight human trafficking
It was a plunge six months in the making, and when it was finally over, Browns head coach Hue Jackson vowed he would never be in the same situation again.
Rewind to Jan. 2, 2017, a day after the Browns finished 1-15. Jackson announced he would jump into Lake Erie if the Browns went 1-15 again in 2017. As anyone who cares to know does know, they were 0-16 last season.
But the plunge Jackson and 149 other Browns employees — including team co-owner Dee Haslam — took June 1 on Huntington Beach in Bay Village was about much more than a football coach fulfilling a promise.
The event raised $30,000 for the Hue Jackson Foundation to help combat human trafficking. Jackson would not go into detail, but he said the horrible consequence of human trafficking is something that directly touched him and his family.
“This is truly about a statement I made that I think I owed our fans because of what they’ve had to go through the last two years.” Jackson said before dashing into the 57-degree water. ”The second part of this is about human trafficking. I thought it was a chance to put two very important things together.
“It is truly affecting families. It’s something that’s been near and dear to my wife and my family. We’ve had some personal experiences in our own way. We really thought about it (as the theme for Jackson’s foundation). It wasn’t a quick decision. We researched what was going be the best place for us to make an impact, and because of our personal
experiences, this is what we decided to do.”
The theme of the event, playing off Cleveland being nicknamed “The CLE” by some marketing wiz, was “The CLEanse” — a symbolic way of cleansing the grime of going 1-31 the past two seasons. And really, if you get right down to it, all the filth of the first 19 years of the Browns’ rebirth as a 1999 expansion team. The Browns were lousy before Jackson was hired in January 2016, though not as lousy record-wise as they were the past two seasons.
“Three, two, one — Let’s go!” Jackson shouted as he led the charge into the frigid lake.
The 150 folks from the Browns were in the water for about three minutes. Once in, they decided to make a fun time of it, shouting and splashing around and ignoring the cold before they walked back to shore, smiling and patting each other on the back.
“It feels good,” Jackson said as he walked out of the water. “It’s over and done with. The page is turned.
“As you can see, it’s not just me. It’s our organization. They’re the reason I do what I do, and our players, and our fans. I know our fans have been very disappointed, but that page is closed. Hopefully they’ll give us a chance to win back their respect and trust and their affection for
our football team. We’re not going to talk about it. We’re just going to work.”
Jackson pledged $100 to his own Foundation for every Browns employee who joined him in the CLEanse. He is $15,000 poorer today, but he’s cool with that.
Jackson was touched that so many from Lou Groza Boulevard in Berea would join him. He sees the show of support as people believing in his cause and also still believing in him.
“I got (emotional) because of this,” said Jackson, pointing his thumb over his shoulder toward the other swimmers. “I affect what they do. Those people have been with me every day.
“When you lose as many games as we have, and you keep parking your car, walk in the building and have to see those faces each and every day — I carry them with me. I carry them and their families and this city with me. Contrary to what anybody
believes, it’s on me. I wear it every day.”
Jimmy and Dee Haslam matched Jackson’s $15,000 donation to the Hue Jackson Foundation. Dee Haslam wore the same Tshirt every one who took the plunge did. She was happy to do it and proud to show her support for Jackson as a head coach and a person.
“Hue is a great coach and a great leader of men,” she said. “This is just another step toward where we want to go.
“The last couple years have been terrible for us and really terrible for our fans. We take that responsibility and feel horrible about it because Northeast Ohio and fans of the Cleveland Browns deserve so much more. So we’re going to continue to work really hard and do everything we can to make this a winning organization.”
Jackson said he has learned his lesson. He said he is getting out of the prediction business.