The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bitonio: Athletes can use platform for healing
Browns Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio says the best way to heal our nation is to listen to what others have to say.
Browns Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio says the best way pro athletes and common citizens can help heal our nation is to listen to what others have to say.
Bitonio chatted with the media for about 20 minutes June 3 on a Zoom conference. Most questions dealt with football and how the Browns will benefit from the wide zone blocking scheme Coach Kevin Stefanski employs, but several also dealt with the civil unrest stemming from the death of George Floyd. Floyd, an African-American, died when white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of Floyd’s neck.
“I think the main thing is people in general have predetermined thoughts about certain situations,” Bitonio said. “If you go on Twitter today, just in general, you see arguments under every post and every comment, and a lot of the times, you’re not changing people’s opinion on that. It’s like the kid in class that raises his hand when the teacher’s speaking. He doesn’t listen to what the teacher is saying and then asks a question that you already went over.
“We’re all ready to talk and all ready to give our opinion on things, when in reality, we just need to listen at some point. I think that’s a tough thing for people to do because people want to be helpful and people want to contribute to the conversation. But right now, a lot of times, it’s what can we do to listen?
“No one has the complete answer or there would be no racism in our country.”
The Browns and all NFL teams are not allowed to meet or practice together because of the novel coronavirus, but they are meeting on Zoom, and not always to listen to offensive line coach Bill Callahan
give pointers on a new blocking scheme. Bitonio said wide receiver Jarvis Landry spoke passionately for 10 minutes June 1 about how the Browns and other athletes can use their status in the community to relieve racial tensions.
“He tried to tell us how we can use our platform a little bit better, because I think the vast majority of people want to help and want to improve the situation,” Bitonio said. “Coach
Stefanski gave us a list of different things that we can go about, and that’s really just getting in our communities — going out and voting, not just presidential and not just nationwide but locally. What can we do locally to help?
“Then it’s going back and giving to the kids that need the help. I think hate is really truly taught throughout the world, and if you can get to younger kids and grow and show that everybody,
we are in this together, this is our one world and we can grow and be the best people and treat people with respect, that’s where we kind of have to start.”
Bitonio said the offense the Browns will use in 2020 is similar to they ran in 2014 when Bitonio was a rookie and Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator. The Browns finished 7-9, but lost their last five games.
“It’s a marriage of the
run and pass,” Bitonio said. “We want to make the runs look just like the passes and the play actions just like the runs. It all kind of works itself together. I’m excited to get back in it. I thought we had a good offense my rookie year. Obviously, we had some quarterback difficulties and things of that nature, but I think we showed that it can be a successful offense.
“Baker (Mayfield), I think he works in this offense
great. He is going to be able to sell those runs and set up in the pocket. It is not just drop-back passing 50 times a game, which is benefit to the O-line, too. If you can sell the run and play action, boot and run keepers off the run game, it is going to give Baker another second or two to have guys get open and run routes.”
Mayfield was sacked 40 times last season. He threw 22 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.