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William Green: Comeback Player of The Year?

William Green: Comeback Player of The Year?

It's hard to call it a comeback. Green failed to reach 1000-yards in either of his first two pro seasons. But from where he was just a few months ago;

Green was arrested Monday night after being stopped while driving his Cadillac SUV erratically and with a flat tire. After he did not fail instructions for field sobriety tests, Green took a breathalyzer, which indicated a .165 blood-alcohol content. The legal limit in Ohio was lowered from .10 to .08 in July and the maximum penalty for a first-time offense is six months in jail, a $1,000 fine plus $1,950 in penalty assessments and a six-month driver's license suspension. The 23-year-old Green also was cited for a misdemeanor possession of marijuana and failing to travel within marked lanes. - Sports Ticker Ent.

and just a few days later;

The fiancee of Cleveland Browns running back William Green was arrested Wednesday night on charges she stabbed him in the back. Green sustained a puncture wound under his left shoulder blade during a fight at his suburban Westlake home, police said...Green, is being held in city jail pending an arraignment in Rocky River Municipal Court. No bond has been set. - SI.com

William Green came about as close as an NFL player can get to losing his career without having it completely lost.

If you don't think Green ever had the talent to be a marquee runner in the NFL under the best of circumstances, then the debate stops right there. But if you think he has the talent to be a productive feature back, then one of two things happens when you stare into the abyss of career extinction. You sink, or you mature and prosper. William Green put himself on the brink of losing it all. And now he appears to be on a mission to fulfill his potential;

It's just good to be back in the locker room," Green said. "There was a time last year when I didn't know if I'd even be back. I'm grateful that Coach Davis, Mr. Lerner and Mr. Policy allowed me to come back. I'm grateful that the team allowed me back. I'm looking forward to making it up to them." He knows he's got fences to mend and issues to address. And so far, he's taking them like he takes opposing linebackers head on. "(I've been doing) a lot of learning from mistakes, first and foremost, and building off that," Green said. "A lot of hard work putting things behind me, moving forward and realizing I have a bright future and owe a lot of people a lot, starting with the Browns. They stayed by my side the whole time my teammates, family and all the fans." ClevelandBrowns.com

From a fantasy perspective, I'm not suggesting I would draft Green to be my RB2, but I do think he has enough upside that if he can mature and simplify his life to focus on football and football alone, he has the talent to be a major playmaker in the NFL. As such would certainly be worth taking a gamble on with his stock this low.

One of the beautiful things about the game of football is that motivation, can play a very big role in how a player performs in the heat of battle on Sundays. Some guys have it hardcore (ie, Thurman Thomas - who watched his draft day tape before most games he played throughout his career), and some guys don't. And some guys are just in it for the short-term cash grab. As a fantasy football owner I look for guys who may have that 'motivational edge'. And William Green may have finally got his.

I see a different kid," Davis said. "I see a guy who is a lot more serious. He knows there are things he needed to address and change. Sometimes people need a wakeup call. He's been also very thankful. He's back in the office. He's doing all the things that he's been asked to by the league and the team. He's working out. He's doing what he is supposed to do. Every single day puts distance between what happened (and the present)." - Head Coach: Butch Davis

Remorseful Green looks forward [ClevelandBrowns.com]
Green arrested for DUI [Sports Ticker]
Photo: [AP]

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