NFL Coach Using Football To Cope with Deaths of His Mother and Brother
Football is giving Browns coach Hue Jackson refuge to cope with family loss.
Jackson, trying to turn around a Cleveland team that didn’t win a game in 16 tries last season, plans to remain with the team in training camp while mourning the recent deaths of his 83-year-old mother and his brother in California.
A team spokesman confirmed Wednesday night that Jackson’s mother, Betty Lee, died over the weekend in Los Angeles following a long illness.
Her passing came two weeks after Jackson’s brother, John Jr., died unexpectedly.
We're sending our best wishes to Browns head coach Hue Jackson, whose mother and brother have both died in the past two weeks. Share your condolences and words of encouragement in this tough time. Read more: https://t.co/U2Lh6VbduY
📸: John Kuntz, https://t.co/a4YA4W2Cro pic.twitter.com/jQIex2vtIX— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) August 2, 2018
Jackson intends to stay with the Browns through next week’s exhibition opener against the New York Giants while the family finalizes funeral plans.
Jackson, who is in his third season with Cleveland, has not made any public comments about the deaths during camp, which opened last week.
Beyond his daily duties, Jackson’s every move on and off the field at the Browns’ camp is being chronicled by cameras for HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
Jackson’s agent, John Thornton, told Cleveland.com that the deaths have deeply affected the coach.
“It’s been really tough on him,” Thornton said. “He’s just trying to let football help him out.”
Jackson has been mum, trying to keep the focus on improving the Browns after a winless campaign.
“But to have two tragedies like this back-to-back has been really difficult,” Thornton said.
To make matters more stressful for Jackson, he has been trying to cope with grief and coach a football team while the aforementioned “Hard Knocks” cameras are focused on him.
“At any given time he’s got two cameras in his office,” said Thornton. “He’s doing the best he can not to let his emotions get the best of him. He knows he has to be there for the team.”
Jackson will travel to Los Angeles for funeral arrangements following the Browns’ preseason opener.
“The people closest to him know what’s been going on, and they know he hasn’t been himself,” said Thornton. “Being busy with football has helped, but it’s still been extremely difficult.”
Although Jackson is just 1-31 in two seasons with the Browns, owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said last week that the coach still has their unwavering support.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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