BEREA, Ohio — Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. hobbled out of the Browns locker with a walking boot on his left foot, an orange and brown cane in his left hand, and Grant Delpit right by his side.
It’s been that way since Emerson suffered the season-ending ruptured his Achilles on July 29 in training camp, with Delpit lifting him up and walking this rehab journey with him.
Two days after Emerson crumpled to the ground, Delpit, who ruptured his Achilles during his rookie training camp in 2020, sent Emerson his entire training regimen and protocol, the one that got him back on the field by Week 2 of the 2021 season.
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“As soon as I got injured, Grant, he sent me, probably like two days post, he sent me everything,” Emerson said while sitting at his locker and accepting well-wishes from teammates such as linebacker Jerome Baker. “His whole rehab, it’s probably like 20 slides, when he tore it, when he started running, actually just the whole process, his surgery, when he started back running, then when he was like fully back, so just seeing that process and seeing D4 (Deshaun Watson) every day.
“I’m just seeing people that have bounced back, like Kobe Bryant, even though that was a decade ago, but people that are like me bounce back from this injury, so it will be simple. Just one day at a time. Just going through the process and not trying to skip through to the end where I’ll be all good again. Just being where my feet is, one day at a time.”
When Delpit sent the slides, he also sent a message of encouragement.
“He said ‘you’ll be able to get through it,’” Emerson said. “He was like ‘step or get stepped on.’ He was basically saying, ‘get to work and don’t feel sorry for yourself.”
He talks all the time to Delpit, who helps him keep his head up. A season-ending injury can be isolating, and players often go through periods of depression. Delpit is helping to see to it that it doesn’t happen with his close friend.
“He says it’s just a test to yourself honestly, to your faith and to God and just staying true, that’s it,” Emerson said. “It just sucks just not physically being able to do what I want to do, play with the fellas and do what I love, but other than that, it’s cool.”
Like Delpit, Emerson never asked himself “why me” after he crashed to the ground in excruciating pain, clutching the back of his left leg. He’s already been through so much in his life, with his dad serving time in prison and then his mom going in when his dad got out. He’s learned to love, to forgive and to persevere.
“I don’t feel sorry for myself,” Emerson said. “Dark moments don’t last. I know I will come back stronger and better from this.”
Emerson, who hopes to be back practicing by organized team activities in May, is excited about the progress he’s already made.
“It’s one day at a time and I’m just seeing my rehab coming along and I’m getting better,” he said. “I actually gained muscle my first month out of surgery and they said that was the first time in Cleveland Browns history that somebody did that, so I’m working. I just wish I was out there with the fellas. That’s the tough part, and just not being able to interact with the fans. Other than that I’m good mentally.”
A couple of times a week, Emerson will drop into a cornerback meeting so he can feel like he’s a part of things.
“That’s like therapy for me, just to go in, being with the guys, see football, talk ball and let them know I’m still with them even though I’m not out there with them,” Emerson said.
Emerson has spent his free time working on his mind and soul as much as his body.
“Just reading for real,” he said. “I’m reading more because during the season I really don’t get to read. I’m getting closer to God, working on my communication skills with my family, just trying to be there more. Just trying to be a better person for real and just focus on this little leg I got.”
One book Emerson read since his surgery is “Why the Best are the Best: 25 Powerful Words That Impact, Inspire, And Define Champions by former Celtics assistant Kevin Eastman.
“It’s a great book,” Emerson said. “He worked with a lot of NBA legends like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, he worked with Doc Rivers, the Hall of Fame coach. He talks about work ethic and he’s got 25 words that he uses in his daily life. If he’s going through something, he might look up a work like ‘trust’ and he’ll read that definition and it will help him throughout the day. It’s good for an athlete just to like refocus and kind of re-center on what’s important.”
He also re-read The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
“I already read that book like three times, but I re-read it whenever I’m going through something,” he said.
The first one he read after the surgery was The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.
“If you read that book, you’ll understand every aspect of life in a sense,” Emerson said. “You would just understand why people think the way they think. It’s kind of thick, but worth it. Great book.”
In October, Emerson will head to South Florida to rehab with “Dr. Reef,” or Dr. Sharif Tabbah, who’s worked with many NFL players including Browns running back Quinshon Judkins while he was working through his legal process over the past three months, Alvin Kamara, Kenny Pickett, Stefon Diggs, and more.
“He’s legit, man,” Emerson said. “He’s got a lot of credibility.”
Emerson’s injury bumped Greg Newsome II back into a starting role outside opposite Denzel Ward, and he’s played well. Young cornerbacks Cam Mitchell and Myles Harden need to keep improving, with Mitchell coming off a rough outing in Baltimore.
In the final year of his rookie contract, Emerson hopes to re-sign with the Browns, but he’ll leave it up to his agent. The Browns think so highly of their 2022 third-round pick out of Mississippi State, they’ll undoubtedly bring him back. He worked overtime in the offseason to rebound from his disappointing 2024, and he’s sorely missed on the field.
The comeback has been delayed a year, but Emerson is more determined than ever to become the Pro Bowl cornerback he knows he can be.
Delpit will help see to it that he does.