Browns' Myles Garrett skips Hall of Fame tour, won't enter building unless he's enshrined
Myles Garrett does not lack confidence in himself, we can say that much.
The Cleveland Browns All-Pro adhered to a personal policy on Wednesday when he skipped a team tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame during mandatory minicamp, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
The tour was part of a team practice at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Garrett did take part in the practice portion of the events.
Why would Garrett refuse a Hall of Fame tour? Well, the former first overall pick has decided he does not want to physically enter the Hall until he has been enshrined there, as he explained back when he was a rookie.
“I’d like to be in it,” Garrett said of the Hall of Fame. “That’s going to take a lot of work. It’s kind of strange. I don’t want to see [the Hall]. I want to see it if I’m able to achieve my goal. It’s kind of like a test to me. You don’t deserve to go there unless you’re good enough to be in it. I want to see the greatness that’s come before me, but I also want to be a part of it.
“I don’t feel like I’m worthy to be able to go in there and see guys who played 10, 12, 15, 20 years and gave their all to the game. I haven’t even played my first game yet. So once I get a taste and maybe feel like I deserve to even walk among those guys, then that’s different. I deserve to be among the pros, but the real greats of the game who laid the groundwork and the foundation, that’s something different.”
Again, that is a rookie speaking about his Hall of Fame plans. The Hall is also probably grateful more don't follow Garrett's philosophy, as the Hall would be pretty empty if only its 362 enshrined members were allowed in.
Four years later, Garrett's policy is apparently still intact, per the Beacon Journal.
“Honestly, I don’t want to go [to the Hall],” he said Friday. “I’ve kept myself from going because I don’t want to go until I’m in it. Until I have my face in it, I don't want to go. If we go as a team and Kevin [Stefanski] says, 'I want you to go,' that's fair play. But I'm not trying to go until they have me in there for good.”
Judging from his lack of attendance, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was apparently fine with Garrett skipping the tour.
Myles Garrett is on a Hall of Fame track
The good news for Garrett is he definitely seems on pace for enshrinement, so he should eventually be able to tour Canton on his own terms barring a significant career downturn.
The 26-year-old defensive end is already second on the Browns' all-time sack leaderboard with 58.5 in just five seasons. Since a rookie year shortened due to a high ankle sprain and concussion, Garrett has posted double-digit sacks every year.
In addition to his sack production, the three-time Pro Bowler has posted 203 career total tackles, 59 tackles for loss, 11 forced fumbles, nine passes defended and 116 QB hits (per Pro Football Reference).
That adds up to a Hall of Fame pace, though he probably has a way to go before he can start thinking about his gold jacket measurements. Leading the Browns to more than one playoff win would probably do wonders as well. There's also the matter of his infamous helmet bash of Mason Rudolph, but it's hard to see that mucking up his candidacy if the numbers are there.
