BEREA: When Browns rookie quarterback Cody Kessler and coach Hue Jackson stepped onto the field together for the first time Friday, their thoughts about the connection they felt in March were verified.
In other words, their bromance is genuine.
They’re from different backgrounds and separated in age by 27 years, but they’re also quarterbacks from California who happen to share an affinity for perfectionism.
Kessler enjoys being coached hard. He considers his pre-draft visit with Jackson from two months ago the best one he had partly because the coach criticized him as they studied film.
Then before the first practice of rookie minicamp, Jackson set the tone by giving Kessler about 20 pointers during a walk-through session.
“Whoever walks out there under center, there is an expectation that I have on how you play and how you go about your business,” Jackson said. “I wanted to put him in that mode right away because that is the first time I have ever coached him. They say first impressions are lasting. That’s all I wanted to accomplish because I have a high expectation for him as he continues to compete. He has to continue to grow and get better. But at the same time, he is a very eager young man, he wants to do it and he is talented.”
After the walk-through, Kessler concluded Jackson’s “mindset for the game and for the position is second to none.”
“He wants guys that play at a very high level,” added Kessler, a third-round pick from the University of Southern California. “I’ve always taken pride in that myself. I’ve always been hard on myself, and something I want to do is show that, show that I can come in and play as hard as I can and show that I can come in and take constructive coaching, take criticism, and learn from it.”
If Kessler can accomplish those goals in a hurry, perhaps projected starting quarterback Robert Griffin III shouldn’t sleep on him as a real contender for the job, as head of football operations Sashi Brown said two weeks ago.
Jackson, though, pumped the brakes. He warned it’s too early to know whether Kessler will be able to seriously vie for the starting job this summer in training camp.
“I think it’s too soon to say that he can’t. I think it’s too soon to say that he will,” Jackson said. “At the same time, he is still a young player. You have to earn the right to be in that group. We drafted him. We know he has some ability. I think you guys have all seen it. The guy can throw the football very accurately to people and throw in tight spaces. He did that extremely well today. He has to be able to handle all the different things that come with playing quarterback in the National Football League. I think it’s way too early to tell all of that right now. Is he talented? Yes, I think we all saw that today.”
Kessler certainly won’t count himself out.
Asked if he’ll have a legitimate shot to win the job, Kessler said, “That’s up to Coach Jackson, but his mindset is that he wants everyone to compete, and that’s the mindset I’m taking into it. I’m going to compete with these guys, and they’re going to push me.”
Kessler met Griffin and veteran quarterback Josh McCown on Thursday when the players had a luncheon. McCown had also texted Kessler a couple of weeks ago.
“I want to pick their brains as much as possible and learn as much as I can from them,” Kessler said. “But at the same time, I want to compete.
“I want to be a guy that comes out here and shows he can make all the throws and make some plays and be thankful for this opportunity and take advantage of it.”
The 6-foot-1¼, 220-pound Kessler doesn’t possess prototypical size or arm strength, but he built a reputation as an extremely accurate passer in USC’s pro-style offense who hopes to emulate New Orleans Saints star Drew Brees.
“I’ve enjoyed all of the negativity and different things said about me,” Kessler said. “I use it as motivation.”
Footwork is the main issue on which Jackson is focused.
“With quarterbacks, especially young quarterbacks, [the key is] just being able to work quicker,” Jackson said. “In the National Football League, things open and close very quickly. I think he will work on those things, more footwork related.
“I’ve seen him clean it up in our individual period on to the next period. That told me that he knows how to take information and use it to his advantage. He was able to do that, but you have to do it consistently. He had a good first day.”
Kessler believes Jackson will maximize his abilities. When he left their meeting in the coach’s office in March, Kessler thought, “This is a guy that I know can push me to be great, can push me to the next level and someone that I really want to get a chance to work with.”
Reflecting on the meeting, Jackson said, “I think he’s seen the potential of him growing and getting better being around me, and I saw the potential of a young man who was willing to take the information and learn from it. ... He has some growing to do, but he did some outstanding things today as well.”
Jackson told the public to trust him after the Browns selected Kessler and some observers labeled it a reach in the third round.
Now Kessler is hell-bent on earning Jackson’s trust and proving the Browns can rely upon him.
“I like to put pressure on myself every play, every snap, not to where I have to make every single throw and be perfect but demand perfection in the sense of, if I mess something up, continue to get better,” he said. “That’s why me and Coach Jackson fit so well.”