Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah is still remembered by many in the NFL. The linebacker played for 4 seasons in the league for the Cleveland Browns. He was drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, after a successful college career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he won the illustrious Butkus Award.
He was also a Pro Bowler in 2023, and it looked like he was going to have a successful career. However, it all ended due to a horrific incident on the field.
Koramoah’s career was stopped when he suffered a serious neck injury on October 27, 2024 during a Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He was trying to stop a long run by Ravens running back Derrick Henry, and managed to tackle him. But the impact hyperextended his neck sharply backward, and he was forced to leave the field.
Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) is taken off the field with a neck injury during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
While he did regain movement after the injury, it proved to be a far more serious issue. He missed the rest of the 2024 season, and was also ruled out for the 2025 season by being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Doctors informed him that his injury was career-ending and his NFL career is most probably over with no indication of a return to the field anytime soon.
In a [passage](https://x.com/SleeperBrowns/status/2041500260288061561?s=20) from his “Adversity Essay” submitted as part of his application to Harvard Kennedy School, he detailed his horrifying injury, “Suddenly, head to toe, I went paralyzed. As I lay on the field, unable to move, my thought was only, ‘Please God, let me get up.’…In the hospital, doctors told me that the injury would possibly be career ending.”
However, he did not give up, “The fear was real, but instead of sinking into depression, I reflected on what had already been meaningful to me. Recovery forced me to face a question that I had long avoided. If football ends tomorrow, how then will I be defined?…That reflection grounded me in the understanding that my purpose was never solely to become an NFL legend, but to uplift and empower people.” He is now pursuing another career to help people.
Koramoah has already applied to the Harvard Kennedy School to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy (MPP) back in December, 2025. His acceptance was announced in early April 2026, and his classes are scheduled to begin in fall 2026. The Browns helped him, with General Manager Andrew Berry and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Jimmy Haslam both writing letters of recommendation for him.
He still has a contract with the Browns that will run through 2027, as he signed an extension in 2024 worth $37.5 million. He is currently looking for recovery options, and has already consulted many specialists.
Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah’s career in the NFL may be over, but he is now moving on to continue making change.