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After years fighting fires, hall of fame guard's son hopes to make Browns
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Saturday, May 03, 2008
BEREA: Todd DeLamielleure just turned 29 and hasn't played football in five years.
The son of hall of fame guard Joe DeLamielleure said his life changed last summer, when his firehouse in Charleston, S.C., lost nine men in a furniture store inferno.
A firefighter for 31/2 years, Todd DeLamielleure was off duty that day. The deaths of his friends had a huge impact on the former Duke and Hofstra linebacker.
''You have nine guys that go to work in the morning and never come home,'' he said. ''That makes you say, 'If there's something I want to do, I'm going to do everything in my power to give it a shot.' ''
DeLamielleure was one of 54 players invited to try out this weekend at the Browns' rookie minicamp. Also among the hopefuls is Notre Dame linebacker Dwight Stephenson Jr., son of the Miami Dolphins hall of fame center.
The younger DeLamielleure hurt his shoulder in NFL Europe in 2003 and needed surgery. He has been to tryouts with Buffalo and Carolina that didn't pan out. He said the past two years, he had been training to play in the All-American Football League, which recently folded before its first games, and learned only three days ago of the Browns' invitation.
Bearing a striking resemblance to his father, who played for the Browns in 1980-84, Todd said Joe did not call General Manager Phil Savage asking for a favor. DeLamielleure said Browns defensive assistant Bob Trott coached him at Duke.
''When the AAFL ended up folding, I sent out DVDs and letters to anybody and everybody in the NFL that I even had a six degree of separation to,'' DeLamielleure said. ''I was fortunate that my dad had the good career here and I knew coach Trott.''
Browns coach Romeo Crennel wanted enough players at this minicamp to hold productive practices. DeLamielleure knows he's battling the odds.
''There are thousands of guys like me who feel like they have the talent to maybe make a team,'' he said. ''You get hurt and you try to get back in any way you can. For two years solid, I've been training, but it's not like I've just been sitting there wishing the impossible dream. I have a job.''
Brownies . . .
Savage said defensive back Kenny Wright, accused in Texas in early April of unlawful restraint, evading arrest and possession of marijuana, remains on the team. . . . Defensive back Daven Holly still has not signed his tender offer, but the period has passed for the restricted free agent to go elsewhere. . . . Among the tryout invitees is Walsh University offensive tackle Mike Galassi, a two-time NAIA All-American from Strongsville.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
BEREA: Todd DeLamielleure just turned 29 and hasn't played football in five years.
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