Browns fan Condoleezza Rice keeping an open mind during Deshaun Watson investigation

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is arguably the most famous female Browns fan in America.

Given the chance to weigh in Wednesday on the controversial trade for Deshaun Watson despite the now-24 civil lawsuits the quarterback faces for sexual misconduct during massage appointments, Rice didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Well, I'm someone who believes that you keep an open mind until all of the facts are evident,” Rice said. “I know the league is doing an investigation, the Browns have done an investigation and I will just wait to see what the outcome is.

“These are serious matters. I think every woman feels that these are serious matters, but hopefully people will get to the bottom of it and we'll see where we are in a couple months.”

Two grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal charges, but he likely will be suspended by the NFL for violation of its personal conduct policy.

Rice spoke via videoconference during media day for the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone Country Club, set for July 7-10 at the famed South Course.

On July 7, Rice will receive the Ambassador of Golf Award, given to a person who has fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concerns for others extend beyond the golf course.

Rice, 67, has had other sports interests in her life, including figure skating and tennis. She took up golf at age 50.

But she's been a football fan for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, her dad schooled her on the game.

“I am a huge fan. My dad was a football coach when I was born, I was supposed to be his All-American linebacker,” she said. “I'm an only child, so I grew up watching football.

“And not just watching it. My dad would say, ‘Condoleezza, what are they doing?’ I was 7 years old. ‘Daddy, that's a trap block.’ ‘Condoleezza, what are they doing?’ ‘They're setting up a screen, Daddy.’ So I knew the game and I still know the game. I was honored to serve on the College Football Playoff Committee.”

That knowledge of the game led to an infamous tweet by Adam Schefter of ESPN. In 2018, less than a week after the Browns fired coach Hue Jackson, Schefter reported on Twitter that the Browns were interested in speaking to Rice about their head coaching vacancy.

Asked if she would have talked to the Browns if they had pressed her, Rice said, “I think they have a lot better-qualified people to be the coach of the Cleveland Browns than me…

“But I think the Browns found a really good coach in Kevin Stefanski and I'll stick to being a fan.”

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According to a 2020 story on wkyc.com, Schefter explained his tweet on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take.”

Schefter said that then-Browns General Manager John Dorsey said during a press conference after Jackson’s firing, “We're going to look under every rock and turn over every stone to get the best candidate, even if it's a woman.” That prompted Schefter to reach out to the Browns to see if there was a woman he wanted to interview and he was given Rice’s name.

Schefter said the Browns wanted to gauge the reaction, and the ensuing backlash forced the Browns to issue a statement denying Schefter’s report. Dorsey hired Freddie Kitchens as coach. Dorsey and Kitchens were fired after the 2019 season and the runner-up in that coaching search, Stefanski, was hired in 2020.

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/browns. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns fan Condoleezza Rice talks Deshaun Watson, Schefter tweet