Bowling Green Alumni in the NFL | Week of Sept. 27–Oct. 3
Harold Fannin Jr. didn't need a pregame speech. The Browns' tight end said it himself after Cleveland's 27–24 Thursday Night Football win over the Steelers: the preparation had already happened. All that was left was executing.
Execute he did.
Fannin Jr. capped a pivotal late drive against Pittsburgh with a touchdown catch, the kind of moment that defines a player's early career. It was his third score in two games — and both wins were tight, nervy affairs that the Browns very easily could have let slip.
The Steelers Game
On Thursday Night Football, with the AFC North rivalry on the line, Fannin Jr. finished with 3 receptions for 27 yards and the game-sealing touchdown as Cleveland held off Pittsburgh 27–24. A pre-game Sports Illustrated piece had flagged him as the potential difference-maker in the upset, and he delivered. For a Browns offense still finding its identity, the Bowling Green product gave them exactly what they needed at the right moment.
The Carolina Warmup
Three days earlier, Fannin Jr. was even more involved. Against Carolina on Sept. 27, he caught 7 passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns as Cleveland edged the Panthers 21–18. That final margin tells the story — without his pair of scores, the Browns don't win. He was, effectively, the entire offensive equation.
Across the two-game stretch, Fannin Jr. has racked up 10 receptions, 78 yards, and 3 touchdowns — quiet stat lines on the surface, but every one of those touchdowns came in a game Cleveland won by six points or fewer. Clutch isn't a strong enough word.
Elsewhere in the BGSU Alumni Ranks
It wasn't all bright lights for Bowling Green's NFL contingent this week. Defensive tackle Karl Brooks, who has worked his way into Green Bay's rotation, did not practice for the Packers due to injury. The team responded by signing rookie David Blay Jr. off a Tuesday workout to shore up a banged-up defensive line — a sign that Brooks' absence is genuinely felt in Green Bay's interior.
No notable stats were reported this week for Connor Bazelak (Buccaneers), OJ Hiliare (Falcons), the two Millers — Scott in Pittsburgh and Scotty in Chicago — Quintin Morris (Jaguars), or Jordan Oladokun (Chargers).
The Bigger Picture
Fannin Jr. is making the case that Bowling Green's tight end pipeline is no fluke. Meanwhile, Quintin Morris is holding down a roster spot in Jacksonville, but right now, Fannin Jr. is the one turning heads on primetime television. Three touchdowns in a week, both wins, all close. Cleveland fans have a new name to write on their jerseys — and MAC football fans have one more reason to pay attention on Saturdays.
AI-generated summary
