Browns receiver who slept outside the team facility and conned his way into a tryout scored a gorgeous TD in his first NFL game

Alexandra Licata

Aug 9, 2019, 20:11 IST

Browns receiver who slept outside the team facility and conned his way into a tryout scored a gorgeous TD in his first NFL game

AP Photo/Ron Schwane
Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi had an 86-yard punt return in the fourth quarter for his first NFL touchdown.

Cleveland Browns rookie receiver Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi scored his first NFL touchdown on an 86-yard punt return.
His teammates cleared the benches and joined him in the end zone to celebrate.
It was another big moment in Sheehy-Guiseppi's journey to the NFL, which has involved finagling his way into a workout by claiming to know vice president of player personnel, Alonzo Highsmith, and sleeping anywhere he could for a week.
Sheehy-Guiseppi was marked as a long shot to make the final roster, but if he continues to impress with his speed, that dream may become a reality.

Cleveland Browns receiver Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi's underdog story just got another moment to remember.

During the team's preseason opener on Thursday night against the Washington Redskins, the rookie had an 86-yard punt return for his first NFL touchdown.

His teammates erupted in celebration, clearing the benches to join him in the endzone.

According to Mike Garafolo, Sheehy-Guiseppi was wearing teammate Odell Beckham Jr's cleats after misplacing his own.

"I felt all the love," Sheehy-Guiseppi told Cleveland.com's Scott Patsko. "I couldn't breathe under the pile. I was over there gasping for air, but I felt all the love. I saw all of them come running down there (to the end zone) and it was just a blessing."

Sheehy-Guiseppi is vying for a spot on the Browns' 53-man roster after finagling his way into a tryout in April.

After losing his scholarship to Phoenix College in 2017 and no other Division I school willing to give him a chance, Sheehy-Guiseppi decided he would roll the dice at going pro.

The 24-year-old spent over a year training in Arizona while making connections, one of which led him to a workout in Miami, Florida, where he wasn't invited.

According to Nick Shook of ClevelandBrowns.com, Sheehy-Guiseppi arrived at the workout and said he knew Alonzo Highsmith, Browns' vice president of player personnel, which got him inside.

He did not actually know Highsmith, but once the workout began, Sheehy-Guiseppi caught his attention with speed. The rookie ran a 4.38-second, 40-yard dash, which was topped by only five receivers at the 2019 NFL combine. That landed him an official tryout.

With no money to spare on a flight home or hotel and the tryout a week away, Sheehy-Guiseppi resorted to sleeping outside, at a 24-hour fitness center, and outside the training facility he was preparing at.

When the time for his tryout came, it resulted in him becoming a member of the Browns on April 5.

Sheehy-Guiseppi may still be marked as a wild card to make the final roster, but he'll be running with every opportunity in the meantime.

Head coach Freddie Kitchens told reporters after the game, "It's good to see hard-working, good people succeed. And he definitely fits the bill with being that."