Kevin Johnson had the worst game of his five-year career on Sunday, but he wasn’t making any excuses or blaming anybody else for his mistakes. Good for him. That kind of integrity indicates a person who is able to motivate himself to improve.
KJ has been the Browns’ best player since their 1999 reincarnation. Lacking the size and speed of a prototypical superstar, he has excelled by the grace of his good hands, hard work, and consistency. He was the big-play man when they needed him as a rookie, and now he’s instrumental to the short possession game. When needed, he’s returned punts and even played quarterback. He has not missed a game in his pro career, he’s caught at least one pass every single time on the field, and he’s never lost a fumble.
So what kind of public support did his coach give this stand-up player in the wake of Sunday’s debacle?
When told that Johnson called his mistakes “stupid,” Davis said, “Good observation.”
When asked if he talked to Johnson, the coach started to say, “I don’t think there’s much gray area with how Kevin . . .” And then he said, “I think he knows exactly what my expectations are.”
Asked if he would make any changes among his starting receivers, Davis said, “I’m not going to say right now.”
If Davis were as mature of a leader as Johnson is as a player, he might have said something like, “Kevin knows his mistakes didn’t help our chances on Sunday, and I’m confident that he knows what to do in the future to avoid repeating them. He’s vitally important to the offense, the team, and this franchise. I’m sure that he’ll grow from this and that he’ll be a key reason for whatever success we enjoy the rest of the season.”
See? Honest, encouraging, and optimistic. The kind of words that can actually help improve performance rather than breed more negativity and insecurity. Would that be so hard?
