The moment was both brilliant and painful.
Mentor High School graduate Luke Floriea, playing his NFL preseason debut for his hometown Cleveland Browns, reeled in an incredible one-handed catch down the sideline on a sweet touch pass from Shedeur Sanders. It had the potential to be one of the best snags of Floriea’s life, and he completed the grab.
In the process, though, Floriea hurt his hamstring and was ruled out for the rest of the game by the Browns. That was the latest update by the time the game ended.
You’ve got to see this catch:
And this is why I was hyping Luke Floriea. What a catch! pic.twitter.com/XbfX4gckKH
— Eric Polzin (NinetoFiveSports) (@925_Sports) August 9, 2025
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Floriea went from Mentor to Kent State for his college football, and he starred in the MAC.
But at 5-foot-8, he was never supposed to make the NFL. He went undrafted and only got a rookie minicamp invite from Browns.
Only after rookie camp did Floriea get an undrafted free agent contract to keep the summer going with Cleveland.
He’s been given the jersey No. 37 this preseason, very much not a WR number. That’s how far off the roster picture he was at the start of camp.
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But recent reports indicated the Browns “can’t guard” Floriea at all. He got open a couple times Friday night, too, including on the fantastic snatch out of the air by his left hand.
It’s a bummer Floriea got hurt, because Shedeur had just gotten cooking, and they may have had a few more moments together.
Instead, Floriea will have to hope the hammy problem isn’t too bad. He needs to get back into preseason action to give himself a chance to make the Browns roster. The local kid has a real chance here, if his body will allow him to take it.
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