‘Happened so fast’: David Njoku speaks out about painful burns
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CLEVELAND (WJW) — Despite feeling the burn during every play, tight end David Njoku says he continued to push through Cleveland Browns games following a fireside accident earlier this fall.
In a new interview posted on the Browns’ social media, the 27-year-old opened up for the first time about what led to the nighttime bonfire incident that left him with second-degree burns on his face and hands.
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“I ran out of my normal lighter fluid that I use to soak the wood, so I used this other one. It was a spray instead of one that you pour,” Njoku said. “So when I lit it up, it just exploded. I saw the fire come from my wrist and just blow up in my face. I didn’t really feel the pain because it just happened so fast.”
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 01: David Njoku #85 of the Cleveland Browns warms up prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) warms up prior to the start of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin) Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) celebrates while running off of the field after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sep. 10, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin) Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku warms up before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard) Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Also in the video, University Hospitals’ Dr. Joseph Khouri explained Njoku’s injuries as being “a 17-18% total body surface area burn of second degree partial thickness,” saying it was “probably the most painful burn you can have.”
Njoku explained that despite the pain, he had no intention of missing the Oct. 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens, which he showed up for wearing a mask.
“Even putting that mask on and taking it off, bits and pieces of my skin and my face would be off,” he explained in vivid detail in the video.
Browns’ David Njoku shows burned face for first time
While Njoku is well down the road of recovery now, the fiery incident has led him to want to raise awareness for the American Burn Association (ABA). Find out more about special T-shirts doing just that right here.
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