The Cleveland Browns added a defensive lineman to their roster Tuesday, but he wasn't just any defensive lineman.
Dylan Sutcliffe of Lyndhurst, Ohio, signed a one-day contract with the Browns to fulfill a wish he made known to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Dylan, 9, has been diagnosed with ataxia-telangiectasia, an immunodeficiency disease that affects a number of different organs in the body. It is a rare, recessive genetic disorder that affects one of every 40,000-100,000 children worldwide.
Dylan was flanked by his father, Derek, and Browns General Manager Ray Farmer as he was introduced at a morning news conference. Browns employees and media members broke normal protocol by applauding Sutcliffe's signing, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.
He wore a jersey with strong safety Donte Whitner's number on it as he spoke, but Farmer unveiled a jersey with the No. 7 on it for Sutcliffe, a number Farmer pointed out was not currently being used.
The team also had a locker filled with team gear ready for Dylan. His locker was next cornerback Joe Haden, who tweeted a picture of the setup.
"Congrats to Dylan on his one day contract!! They put you next 2 the right guy!" Haden posted with the photo.
Dylan said defensive tackle Phil Taylor is his favorite player. Farmer praised his "versatility" when asked if Dylan would practice inside or outside.
"Dylan likes to knock guys over, though," Derek Sutcliffe said, adding that the day with the Browns was "a dream come true" for the entire family.
Sean, Dylan's 4-year-old brother, joined Dylan for the trip, along with his parents and grandparents. Sean has also been diagnosed with ataxia-telangiectasia.
Christie at the bat
He's no Babe Ruth, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't look too out of place Wednesday night while playing in the "True Blue" celebrity softball game at Yankee Stadium in New York. The game was organized to honor Wenjian Liu, Brian Moore and Rafael Ramos, New York police officers killed in the line of duty.
"Even if his uniform was stretched to its physical limits, Christie looked smooth in the field," Jason Molinet of the New York Daily News wrote.
Christie wore No. 41, played third base and batted sixth, behind Buffalo Bills Coach Rex Ryan and radio hosts Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton, who organized the event.
Molinet said Christie made a gutsy play in the field for an out in the first inning and, despite a smattering of boos, hit a long fly out to left field in his first at-bat.
While fans got their kicks heckling the governor, Joe Benigno of WFAN-AM in New York got a barb in as well.
According to a report on NJ.com, Benigno asked Christie, "How was the traffic coming over the George Washington Bridge?"
A series of messages revealed that top aides to Christie ordered the closure of several lanes of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, N.J., in 2014. Christie has said he was unaware of the lane closures and said they were "unequivocally not" motivated by politics.
Sports quiz
Where did Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor start and end his college career?
Answer
Taylor played at Penn State in 2007-2008, but was kicked off the team after a pool party incident, so he finished at Baylor in 2009-2010.
Sports on 06/05/2015