Although the situations are basically apples and oranges, there is a possibility that Browns’ draft choice Montario Hardesty, from Tennessee, will follow in the footsteps of Ernie Davis and never play a down for the Browns in a game that counts.
↵Davis, a Heisman Trophy winner from Syracuse acquired by the Browns from the Washington Redskins before his first training camp, was diagnosed with leukemia in 1962, and succumbed to the disease in 1963 after having never played in an NFL game. Although Hardesty did carry seven times in the preseason game against the Bears on Thursday, technically he has never taken a snap in a game that "matters", and with his history of knee troubles and this new ACL tear on a previously-injured knee, there is always a chance that Hardesty might not be able to come back. A small chance, hopefully, but still a chance.
↵Let us hope that Montario can have a full recovery and a successful rehab, and that he will not join a sad list in Browns’ history of running backs with promise who never played in a September game.