In partnership with College Now Greater Cleveland, the Browns added a couple of honorary captains for their Week 14 game against the Panthers as part of their Browns Give Back movement.
Kaylon Cowan-Ross and Omowonuola Obasa joined the usual captains for the coin toss, part of their reward as 2018 Marion Motley Scholarship recipients.
They also earned an interview with former Browns All-Pro offensive lineman Joe Thomas, who called the scholarship "one of the most prestigious awards that the Cleveland Browns give out." During the interview, Obasa and Cowan-Ross revealed their plans for the future.
Obasa wants to study political science or public policy and make a macro-level change to the world. Ross wants to major in psychology and change beliefs about mental illness.
The scholarship recipients also participated in an on-field check presentation with Browns Alumni judge Dick Ambrose, who also served as a member of the scholarship recipient selection panel.
The Browns will assist these young minds in achieving their goals by committing $10,000 per year over four years to a college of their choosing, just as they've have done for students over the last 13 years.
As one of the first African-Americans to integrate professional football in 1946, Motley, the award's namesake, overcame many obstacles and was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. In the scholarship application, students write an essay connecting how they relate to Motley and the challenges he faced. Additionally, the scholarship aims to help first-generation college students who plan to have a career in education or professional sports after college.
"For a lot of scholarship recipients, if they didn't receive this scholarship, they wouldn't have been able to go to college," said Bob Durham, Senior Director of Scholarship Services at College Now Greater Cleveland.
To date, The Browns have awarded $260,000 in scholarship money to 26 students, and 93 percent of recipients graduate or are on track to graduate in six years. This is compared to a 42 percent national average for students receiving the federal Pell grant.
