Small world: The Browns’ new tight end coach, Rob Chudzinski, and I were high school classmates in Toledo. Half a lifetime ago, “Chud” and I were in a lot of classes together, as well as National Honor Society. I wouldn’t say we were close friends or anything, but I liked him, as did everyone else. He was very smart, on the quiet side, kind of a gentle giant — easy to tease and slow to anger. He was a three-sport star and one of the biggest kids around, but he never gave a hint of being arrogant, nor was he a bully or a showboat. I was always amazed that he seemed to fit in so well with the punks at Miami, where he played tight end, got two degrees, and coached his way up to the pros.

At his first press conference in Berea today, Chud’s answer to a question about his offensive philosophy echoed the exact words of our senior year English teacher, Dr. Demar: “Balance is the key.”