Cleveland Browns

Clevelander waits outside Browns facility for tryout, gets meeting with Farmer

Published Nov. 13, 2015 12:53 a.m. ET

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Monte Gaddis is willing to do whatever it takes to get a chance at an NFL tryout, even if it means standing outside his local team's facility in the rain all day.

Gaddis, a Cleveland native and college teammate of ex-Browns running back Terrance West, pledged to wait outside of Browns headquarters all week with his homemade cardboard sign until he got an answer. By the third day, he got his first taste of success. 

Joe Haden spotted Gaddis on Monday and thinking he was looking to raise money for a local football program, offered to donate money. Gaddis refused, telling Haden that he was seeking a tryout. 

After a rainy Tuesday, Gaddis finally got what he was looking for. Browns general manager Ray Farmer emerged from the team's offices on Wednesday and told Gaddis he didn't have to take such extreme measures to get noticed. 

"I told him I felt this was the best route I had since I didn't have an agent or anything," Gaddis told Cleveland.com. "I told him, 'Hey, it got you to come across the street to talk to me. I think I did a good job.' He chuckled, so it was a good feeling."

After chatting for a few minutes, Farmer asked Gaddis for some game tape. Only problem was Gaddis didn't have it with him. Farmer said to deliver it the next day, but Gaddis raced right home to grab it. 

"The one thing I'm waiting for is that tryout," Gaddis said. "That's all I'm waiting for. I know they're going to love me. The city is behind me. I have all of the support. I just hope the coaching staff feels the same way."

Gaddis is looking to make it as a safety after starring at linebacker for Towson University. Without so much as a sniff of an NFL tryout, he played overseas earlier this year in the Polish American Football League. After reading about free agent receiver Joe Anderson camping outside the headquarters of the Houston Texans, he decided to employ a similar strategy, with some added encouragement from West.  

"He said, 'You have nothing to lose. Why not?' " Gaddis said. "When he said that, it just clicked a little button in my head, like, 'I'm going to go with this and not look back.' "

Gaddis' chances may be slim-to-none, but kudos to Farmer for being open minded enough to at least take a look. It would be an amazing story if Gaddis did catch on, but it would be even crazier if he made it with another team after getting ignored by his hometown squad.

Curious to see how Gaddis looks on film? Look no further:

h/t: Cleveland.com

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