During the third quarter of a Week 8 matchup on October 27, 2024, the Cleveland Browns took on the Baltimore Ravens in a tightly contested game. In one key moment, the linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah took an aggressive angle to stop a long run by Ravens running back Derrick Henry. He managed to complete the tackle, but the force of the collision snapped his neck backward in a dangerous motion. The impact resulted in a serious neck injury that would ultimately end his season, and as it turned out, would also impact his NFL career. Although Cleveland secured a 29-24 win that day, the moment cast a lasting shadow, as the injury came frighteningly close to causing paralysis.
“Suddenly, head to toe, I went paralyzed. As I lay on the field, unable to move, my thought was only, ‘Please God, let me get up,” noted linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s entrance essay to Harvard Kennedy School on April 7.
“In the hospital, doctors told me that the injury would possibly be career-ending. The fear was real, but instead of sinking into depression, I reflected on what had already been meaningful to me. Recovery forced me to face a question that I had long avoided. If football ends tomorrow, how then will I be defined?…That reflection grounded me in the understanding that my purpose was never solely to become an NFL legend, but to uplift and empower people. Thus, the injury did not introduce this purpose, but it required me to choose it intentionally.”
Jeremiah suffered a severe neck injury after a violent collision with running back Derrick Henry. When Henry charged toward the right sideline, the Browns’ linebacker attempted to tackle him. During the collision, Jeremiah lowered his head, enduring the direct impact to the Ravens player’s right arm and shoulder. The hit compressed his neck and jolted his head backward, which was why he immediately fell hard on the field.
While he regained mobility in his limbs, the injury likely damaged his spinal cord, which was why he initially felt he was paralyzed. The 26-year-old was initially told by the doctors that he would never make his return to the gridiron, but he is under rehabilitation with the support of the franchise.
Even though he has not officially retired, he was ruled out of the entire 2025 season, and in early 2026, Browns General Manager Andrew Berry cited his situation as “not overly optimistic.”
Suddenly, head to toe, I went paralyzed. As I lay on the field, unable to move, my thought was only, ‘Please God, let me get up.’…In the hospital, doctors told me that the injury would possibly be career ending. The fear was real, but instead of sinking into depression, I… pic.twitter.com/gaTua2KNwY
— SleeperBrowns (@SleeperBrowns) April 7, 2026
However, he remains under the contract of the team until the end of the 2027 season after a contract extension in 2024, the year he endured the potentially career-ending injury. He received an upgrade from his rookie contract of $6.4 million, with a contract extension paying him $37.5 million for three years.
He got the contract extension because of his impressive performance on the gridiron. The linebacker earned a Pro Bowl honor in 2023, while he established himself as the starter, featuring in 49 games across four seasons. He managed a total of 308 tackles and 8 sacks in his NFL career.
With an uncertain future looming, the Browns’ star might have found a new career path off the field.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah pursues a new career beyond the NFL
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is currently pursuing higher studies, as his football dream is starting to fade away. He was enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School last month, studying MPP or Master’s in Public Policy. His full-time class is set to start in the fall of 2026, around the time the next NFL campaign starts.
The Browns management has been fully supportive of the linebacker’s new career. As a matter of fact, general manager Andrew Berry, who is also a Harvard graduate, and the owner, Jimmy Haslam, wrote a recommendation letter, which helped him secure admission. Meanwhile, he is not the only NFL player to step off the gridiron and pursue higher studies.
