Ever since the Cleveland Browns picked him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has had just a pair of aims for his NFL career. The young linebacker wanted to win the Super Bowl for his franchise and break the Browns’ record for tackles for loss. A severe neck injury against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 season, however, forced him to change his pursuit.
The injury forced him to miss the rest of the 2024 and the full 2025 season, with uncertainty now looming over his NFL return. Still, the 26-year-old was prepared to focus on life beyond football. And with that in mind, Owusu-Koramoah applied to pursue a master’s degree in public policy. And throughout the process of his application, the young LB had the Browns’ support.
“They’ve always known me as someone who values learning,” he said of the Browns. “In my conversations with Jimmy Haslam, he emphasized staying mentally active during recovery. That support meant a lot and really created space for me to explore opportunities like this.”
It was back in December 2025 when Owusu-Koramoah applied to pursue higher education at Harvard Kennedy School in public policy. Fast forward to March 2026, and when he was traveling to New York, he logged in to an application portal to check his status. That’s when he realized he had been accepted, seeing the word “congratulations” for the first time.
He’s starting his term in the fall of 2026.
Both the Browns’ general manager, Andrew Berry, and the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Jimmy Haslam, wrote the letter of recommendation for the linebacker’s application process. In a statement, Haslam said:
“I remember when he asked us to write the letter of recommendation being so impressed with the fact that after going through such a traumatic experience with the injury, he was thinking so high-level about his next move. He was so gracious in the way he asked. He is a great representative for our organization and all our players.
“I doubt the letter of recommendation helped that much because JOK is an outstanding individual. He earned his entry into Harvard and will be a great addition to their community. I was honored that he asked us to write a letter on his behalf and I’m highly confident that he will accomplish so much off-the-field whenever his playing career concludes.”
For the general manager, meanwhile, Owusu-Koramoah’s desire to pursue a master’s from Harvard Kennedy School carried significant weight. Berry graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in computer science. He was also a four-year starter as a cornerback.
“I always tell guys when they come into the organization that whether they’re here for 10 minutes or 10 years, we want them to be better players and better people when they leave us,” Berry said. “And that’s how we certainly feel about Jeremiah, given everything that he did in the building, on the field, and then kind of the unfortunate circumstances with how his career has been a little bit on pause.
“So, when he mentioned that he wanted to go to graduate school and pursue a master’s degree, and that he wanted to attend Harvard Kennedy School, that’s an easy letter of recommendation to write. He is a lifelong Brown and he’s a great ambassador for our organization, and anything that we can do to help him, we will.”
That said, while Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s football career came to an abrupt halt, he’s looking forward to the next chapter of his life beyond football. And the way things are shaping up, it’s highly unlikely the 26-year-old will be able to get back on the field anytime soon.
How did a career-threatening neck injury halt Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s NFL career?
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had already earned his first Pro Bowl nod after recording the best season of his career in 2023. He finished the 2023 season with 101 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a pair of interceptions. After signing a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension, he kicked off his following season with a strong outing, recording 61 tackles and 3 sacks in just 8 games.
Against the Ravens, however, he suffered a severe neck injury after his collision with running back Derrick Henry. He lay on the ground in pain, paralyzed from head to toe, and praying to God to let him get up.
Ultimately, he was carted off the field. In the hospital, the doctors broke the news that the injury would possibly be career-ending. And while he’s already starting the life beyond football, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that Owusu-Koramoah is unlikely to make an NFL return.
“Owusu-Koramoah, who suffered a serious neck injury in a violent collision with Ravens running back Derrick Henry on Oct 27, 2024, is doubtful at best to ever make it back to the playing field, a league source tells cleveland.com,” she wrote.
At the time of his injury, Owusu-Koramoah had already recorded 308 combined tackles (205 solo), 3 interceptions, 40 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks. Due to his injury, unfortunately, he failed to break the Browns’ record of tackles for loss, as he now looks forward to starting his higher education this fall.
