The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Chiefs LB excited to play against Browns
Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens knows how much Sunday’s playoff clash with the Browns means to Cleveland fans as once upon a time he was one.
Hitchens, a Clearview graduate and Lorain native, grew up a fan of the Browns. Now, almost 12-years after leaving Lorain for Iowa, Hitchens will play against his childhood team in its biggest game in recent memory.
“Definitely I was a Browns fan growing up. Where I’m from in Lorain you really have no choice,” Hitchens said, Jan. 15. “It comes from your family and your community.”
In 2009 Hitchens was awarded the Golden Helmet award as Lorain county’s best football player. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Since then Hitchens has been a regular starter for both Dallas and the Chiefs earning a five-year contract from Kansas City in 2018.
Hitchens has also played in eight playoff games over his seven year career. Seven more than his hometown team has seen in the last decade. So for the Clearview graduate the Jan. 17 game is just like any other playoff game.
“They’re a good ball club, we’re a good ball club and it’s playoff football,” Hitchens said. “So I think it’s just like another game. I’ll prepare the same no matter who we’re playing. And then once we get between those lines it doesn’t really matter where you’re from.”
Hitchens has played the Browns twice in his career, in 2016 and 2018 both in Cleveland.
In those two games the linebacker tallied 15 tackles and half a sack in a pair of wins for the Cowboys and Chiefs.
Hitchens expects a decent chunk of his family and friends to be rooting on the Browns Jan. 17. But the Super Bowl champion linebacker isn’t too concerned about that, focusing on the business at hand.
“I’m very convinced that about 50 to 60% are rooting
for the Browns, but that’s OK because they still love me and that’s all that matters,” Hitchens said. “If my dad was alive I’m sure he’d be the same way. He was a Browns fan all of his life
“It’s good for them and good for their city, but they’re in our way in front of our goal and there’s only one way to handle that and that’s by getting the win.”
Jan. 17 will be Hitchens’ first game since Week 15 against New Orleans after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list following the Chiefs win. His return comes at a key moment as the Chiefs linebacker corps has been hit hard with injuries.
Rookie Willie Gay Jr. was ruled out Jan. 15 with a leg injury he sustained in Week 17. Linebacker Ben Niemann will also return for the Chiefs this week after a hamstring injury kept him out for the final week of the season.
Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called Hitchens “the glue” of the Chiefs defense in December. With their starting MIKE linebacker out, the Chiefs turned to practice squad players and even a defensive tackle (Khalsa Saunders) to attempt to fill the gap.
It worked as Kansas City’s defense played well in its last full strength outing against Atlanta. But the return of Hitchens brings another layer to the defense of the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Hitchens is the primary communicator between the Chiefs eleven on defense and the coaches on the sidelines. He also finished second on the team in tackles despite missing the final two games of the season.