Beating the Odds
Published on May 28, 2002 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Carolina Cobras News Release
Justin Cleveland stepped onto a football field for the first time during his freshman season at Siena College, a small Division NCAA Division I-AA school in Loudonville, N.Y. Unlike most true freshman who entered college as highly touted recruits, Justin had never taken a snap of organized football.
"We didn't have a football team because there were only 38 people in my high school," Cleveland said. "There was no football in a 30-mile radius of Brant Lakes, N.Y., where I grew up. I played whatever I could: soccer, basketball, baseball, YMCA stuff, anything I could get my hands on."
The 6-2, 330-pound offensive lineman's first challenge in getting to play football in college was actually getting schools to take him seriously. Only a few schools were willing to listen, and Siena was one of them.
"That [the ability to play football] was the basis of my college selection. At Siena I was going to at least get a chance to play football," he said. "Siena was one of the few schools that actually took me seriously enough to put some effort into it. I pretty much recruited myself and then once I made them realize that I could play, they showed interest."
All the hard work of proving himself finally paid off. What seemed to be the recurring theme on Cleveland was his outstanding footwork for a big man. >From playing soccer and basketball growing up, he developed quick feet and a fast reaction time. Siena decided to take a chance on him as an offensive lineman and asked him to walk-on to the football team in the fall of 1996.
Cleveland played immediately his freshman season. As expected, he struggled at first, but as the season went on he began to feel more and more comfortable with the game.
"They threw me into the fire because I ended up starting my first year," Cleveland said. "As a lineman, I really did not do very well, but as a player, I learned a lot. I had a lot of older guys that really took me under their wings. Those players accepted me, and then helped me learn the game. By the end of the season, I had taken on the role as center, the quarterback of the line."
As his college career ended in 1999, Cleveland had beat the odds. He had gone from never playing football, to being a star offensive lineman in a matter of only four years, and the honors he garnered showed it. He was a three-year starter and a three-time First Team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) selection from 1997-1999. He was also a First Team All-Academic selection from 1996-1999. He was named Siena's Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1997, while helping the Saints rushing attack lead the MAAC, and finish ninth nationally in Division I-AA with 251.1 yards per game.
After graduating from Siena, Cleveland went to Italy for five months and played for the Bergamo Lions of the European Football League. While there, he helped lead the team to the EuroBowl and European Championship.
"It was a great experience, but the level of competition wasn't anything great," said Cleveland. "I then came back here, and actually played a year in the af2 with the Tennessee Valley Vipers, and then tried to get my foot in the door in the AFL."
A year in arenafootball2 (af2) proved to be all Justin needed to make his mark in Arena Football. Playing for Cobras defensive coordinator Bret Munsey, who was the head coach of the Vipers, Cleveland did not allow a sack from his center position on offense and totaled 13.0 tackles and half a sack as a nose guard on defense.
Those numbers were good enough for the Cobras to take a chance on him as a free agent in November 2001. So far this season, he has been as good as advertised. He sees most of his action from his center position on offense, but has managed to tally 1.5 tackles in six games as a nose tackle on defense.
"Justin is a very solid, very sound center, and those are hard to come by in arena football," Cobras Head Coach Mike Neu said. "His attitude is tremendous. Everyday he comes to practice to work hard. He always stops by the office to ask the coaches what he needs to do to get better. He's always making sure that he takes the initiative to improve, and you don't find that very often in players."
Justin has come a long way from his childhood days of playing soccer and basketball. He is now getting to do what he loves for a living, playing football professionally.
"It is a dream come true for me right now playing something I love," said Cleveland. "I think everyone wants to make money doing what they love. I had written out goals before the season, one of which was to make the team, and once I did I wanted to try to work myself into a leadership position. It's tough as a rookie, but I will at least learn what I can, and then build upon that."
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 28, 2002
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