Brian Goldsmith

MSU J-school Alum ‘22 | Freelance @JewishNewsDet | Former Reporter @wilxTV

[the Sports ON Tap @thesportsontap]

Jaleel McLaughlin ran 28 yards into the end zone tonight as the Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24.

His mother Tonya lost her factory job when he was 12. The Ford Focus is where they ended up.

His grandmother had already died of a heart attack while the family was living in her house.

They stayed in motels before that. They stayed with relatives. Tonya was raising him and his siblings by herself, and then she had to take work in Arkansas and was apart from her sons for two years. They got back together right as he started high school.

He was good. At Forest Hills High School in Marshville, North Carolina he won a state title in basketball, two more in track, and averaged 8.4 yards a carry as a senior running back.

Almost nobody offered him a scholarship. He is 5 foot 7. The few schools that called mostly wanted to move him to defensive back.

Notre Dame College took him. Division II. South Euclid, Ohio, ten miles east of Cleveland.

He ran for 302 yards in his first college game. A Division II record.

Then 2,421 yards as a freshman. Then 2,316 yards and 33 touchdowns as a sophomore. He transferred to Youngstown State and kept going.

He finished with 8,166 yards and 79 touchdowns.

Read that again. Nobody in the history of college football, in any division, has ever run for more yards than Jaleel McLaughlin.

He went undrafted in 2023.

The Denver Broncos signed him off the street. He played all 17 games as a rookie.

Here is the part that gets me.

Notre Dame College, where he set those records, closed its doors for good on May 2, 2024. The school does not exist anymore. There is no team to go back to.

On September 1 of this year the Cleveland Browns put him on their practice squad. On September 15 they moved him up to the active roster after Dylan Sampson got hurt.

Tonight, ten miles from a campus that is gone, in a three point game against the team Cleveland hates most, he took it 28 yards and scored.

"Have a goal, have a dream," he said when he broke the record. "Don't let nobody tell you what you can be, no matter the circumstance, no matter how small, no matter where you come from."

Be honest about where he stands. He is a backup. He went from Denver to a practice squad to a roster spot that only opened because somebody else got injured. Next September is not promised to him either.

But he has already done the hardest thing he will ever do, and it had nothing to do with football.

A kid who slept in a Ford Focus is playing on Thursday night in prime time.

[Kirk Herbstreit @KirkHerbstreit]

Was great to see The Sunshine Scooter this evening in Orlando.
I had an appearance with the folks at the @CitrusBowl and had a great conversation with @AndyStaples
And coach wanted to come say hello when I landed-I said “of course coach, would love to see ya-can I get ya a ride over?”
He said “forget about it-I’m driving over”.
I said “coach cmon man, noway you’re 91 you’re not drivin over”.

Needless to say I lost that battle.
He drove over through a thunderstorm and we spent some time together.
Was SO GOOD to see him and share a few laughs and get some advice that he can only provide.
He looks and sounds amazing!
Love ya LC!!

[IOC MEDIA @iocmedia]

A heartfelt message from IOC President Kirsty Coventry to @lindseyvonn

[Jon Gruden @BarstoolGruden]

What a box opening this is... it's from ADRIAN COLLEGE!

We just ran into their Men's Volleyball team in the airport in Chicago and now we get to open a box from the entire athletic department!

Thank you to @AdrianCollege and all their sports teams for this! GO BULLDOGS!!

[ESPN @espn]

Philip Rivers on his first game back from retirement:

"Hopefully, my sons and those ball players that I'm in charge of at the school, they'll say like, 'Crap, coach wasn't scared.'"

[Mr. Cleveland Sports @MrCleveland_216]

December 10, 1994: Americas Team beats Cowboys🏈

Bill Belichick & Nick Saban defense stops 2x Super Bowl champion Cowboys w/ goal line stand as time expires

#Dawgpound win 19-14, get to 10 wins for 1st time since Marty/Bernie years

#ERock 2️⃣9️⃣

[KutterIsKing @KutterIsKing]

Usually stats like these are dumb but this one’s actually kinda crazy 😭

[Nate @dodgernate]

Greatest postseason performance ever.

[McNeil @REFLOG18]

Going into work on Monday

[Jeff Passan @JeffPassan]

“There’s no such thing as a perfect throw.”

Cal Raleigh:

[Barstool Philly @BarstoolPhilly]

Only logical explanation

[MLB @MLB]

DYK: José Ramírez is one of just 25 players in MLB history to record 250+ home runs and 250+ stolen bases in their career. Among the players on that list, Ramírez is the only primary third baseman, one of two switch-hitters (with Carlos Beltrán), and one of two active players (with Jose Altuve).

The Dominican-born Ramírez is a 7-time All-Star and has finished top-5 in AL MVP voting five times. Today is his 33rd birthday. Happy birthday, José! #HHM

[Cleveland Guardians @CleGuardians]

The love is mutual, Cleveland. 🫶

#GuardsBall | #GuardiWWWins

[MLB @MLB]

The late Dave Parker will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 10 days.

Reply and repost for a chance to win this awesome autographed @Topps card.

[Chicago White Sox @whitesox]

Well, would you look at that... Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV

[Mindset Machine @mindsetmachine]

This speech will change your life:

[ABC News @ABC]

"Oh my gosh, here we go."

One of Pope Leo XIV's brothers, John Prevost, spoke with ABC News about the moment he learned his brother had been chosen to be the new leader of the Catholic Church. https://t.co/f58zV5HQwn

[carl @CarlsBeef]

At Pope
5 foot 10
From South Holland
LEO 14

[Deedy @deedydas]

The new Pope has a degree in mathematics from Villanova University.

This guy doesn’t just understand sin. He understands cos.

[Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter]

The pick is in: The cardinals elected Robert Francis Prevost as their 267th pontiff. He took the papal name Leo XIV.