Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoahearned acceptance to Harvard Kennedy School, the team confirmed in March. Owusu-Koramoah will pursue a master’s degree in public policy at the institution. Multiple specialists have indicated the injury is likely career-ending, casting serious doubt on a return. He has not announced a decision on his playing future.
Owusu-Koramoah has not played since sustaining the neck injury in Week 8 of the 2024NFL season. He spent the entire 2025 campaign on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, missing a second consecutive year.
Browns Linebacker With Career-Ending Injury Earns Admission to Harvard for Master’s Degree in Public Policy
Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) rests in between plays during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
He had been considered one of Cleveland’s most important defenders before the injury disrupted his trajectory. During the 2025 offseason, he completed a week-long public policy course at Harvard. That course prompted his formal application to the school.
The Brownspublished his recovery statement, in which Owusu-Koramoah outlined his path through treatment. “For my recovery, I have been resting and going through different treatments, whether it’s soft tissue work, needling or other forms of therapy,” he said. Alongside those sessions, he held extensive consultations with physicians and specialists to weigh the full risks of returning.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah shares an update on his recovery, emphasizing careful treatment and consulting specialists to fully understand the risks of returning to play.
“For my recovery, I have been resting and going through different treatments, whether it’s soft tissue work,… pic.twitter.com/HcJwgJDdif
— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) April 3, 2026
His consultations pushed the question beyond physical recovery. “It’s not just whether I can play again; it’s about understanding the cost of continuing and making a decision with one-hundred percent certainty,” Owusu-Koramoah said.
The Browns selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He developed into one of their most relied-upon linebackers before the 2024 injury ended his run. His development made the injury a significant loss for Cleveland’s defense.
Browns star’s Harvard essay reframes identity beyond gridiron
The Browns released excerpts from his Harvard admissions essay, detailing how the injury reshaped his identity. Doctors warned him in the hospital that the injury could be career-ending.
“Recovery forced me to face a question that I had long avoided,” Owusu-Koramoah wrote. “If football ends tomorrow, how then will I be defined?” His answer drew from years of community engagement pursued alongside his playing career.
The essay detailed mentoring young people navigating uncertainty, supporting families facing food insecurity and building youth programs. That body of off-field work formed the foundation of his response to the injury’s uncertainty. The purpose animating that work, he concluded, predated any football ambition.
“The injury did not introduce this purpose,” Owusu-Koramoah wrote, “but it required me to choose it intentionally.” That clarity guided his decision to pursue graduate study and public service.
His acceptance to Harvard’s Kennedy School gives him a path to build those skills in public policy. The Browns have publicly supported his transition, sharing his recovery statement and admission essay with fans.