Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, whose recent appearance wearing a full mask to the stadium last Sunday left fans puzzled.
Reports circulated that he badly burned his face in an accident at home while lighting a fire pit.
The extent of those burns were finally made public.
Njoku took to Instagram to give a glimpse of the aftermath, displaying the severity of the burns on his face and arm.
The image elicited an outpouring of support from the football world, who lauded Njoku’s resilience in playing through the pain and not missing any time on the field.
#Browns TE David Njoku posted a picture of his face, post burn injury via IG.
How on earth did he play two weeks ago… mad respect for David pic.twitter.com/VuqwpA5gU1
— MoreForYouCleveland (@MoreForYou_CLE) October 11, 2023
The Browns made the decision to add Njoku to the injury report a day before their clash against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday
Despite the adversity, Njoku displayed remarkable determination on the field, delivering his best performance of the season with six catches totaling 46 receiving yards.
(Ironically, it was the same exact game that quarterback Deshaun Watson decided to sit out, despite being medically cleared by the team to play.)
Njoku has taken this unfortunate incident as an opportunity to make a positive impact. He has launched a line of merchandise, with a percentage of the proceeds set to be directly donated to the American Burn Association, an organization dedicated to supporting burn survivors and furthering burn-related research and education.
Njoku also intends to use his platform to raise awareness for the American Burn Association during the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign in Week 13 of the season.
This initiative seeks to provide support and encouragement to survivors of serious burn-related injuries, drawing attention to the vital work carried out by the association.
Credit to Njoku for playing through his injuries and turning the whole accident into a positive.