BEREA, Ohio — During the offseason program, the Cleveland Browns hosted a special guest when pro wrestling star “Stone Cold” Steve Austin visited the team’s headquarters in Berea and interviewed quarterback Baker Mayfield during a drive around town.
But before Austin interviewed Mayfield, he was on the receiving end of some passes from the second-year signal-caller and 2017 Heisman Trophy winner. In a brief clip shared by the Browns on Twitter, Austin caught passes after running post and out routes before throwing down a spike celebration and some banter back and forth with both Mayfield and Browns coach Freddie Kitchens.
“I can’t say it on air,” Kitchens said of Austin’s route-running ability. “I’ve been reprimanded at home for some of my terms and that would directly happen again.”
Although Kitchens held back on his critique of Austin’s route-running, Kitchens was happy to be involved in the project, which resulted in tonight’s episode of “Straight Up Steve Austin,” which will air on the USA Network following World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.’s flagship program, “Monday Night Raw.”
“Anytime I can support our players in anything like that, I’ll do it, but I don’t think I’d be out there doing it myself,” Kitchens said. “I could show him a couple moves, though.”
Those couple moves Kitchens implied that he could teach Austin, a WWE Hall of Famer and six-time World Wrestling Federation Champion, included his signature maneuver, “The Soupbone,” an aerial strike designed to finish off opponents.
“Yeah, no doubt,” Kitchens said. “My patented move is ‘The Soupbone.’ Do you know what that is? Does anyone here know what ‘The Soupbone’ is? That’s when you come off the top rope and elbow him right on top of the head. It is a good one.”
But “The Soupbone” is far from the only move in Kitchens’ repertoire, apparently.
“How did I perfect that? I grew up in Gadsden, Alabama,” Kitchens said with a laugh. “You better have more than one move.”
