Former Bedford High School quarterback Thomas Greaney has signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free-agent tight end.
“It’s a whirlwind – it feels surreal at times,” Greaney said on Sunday afternoon. “I can’t wait to get out to Cleveland and get training and start playing football again.”
After the 2015 season at BHS, Greaney finished his high school career at Lawrence Academy in Groton, where he converted to safety and tight end. At the University of Albany, he had a breakout senior season and was mentioned as a possible late-round National Football League draft prospect.
The sixth and seventh rounds of the draft unfolded on Saturday, and Greaney said his agent started getting calls from teams interested in signing him as a free agent if he wasn’t chosen.
And that’s what happened – quickly. Greaney said he and his agent already had assessed where he would likely have the best opportunities to make the team. Soon after the draft ended, the Browns were in touch with the best offer, Greaney said.
The University of Albany announced the commitment Saturday at 9:32 p.m. Head Coach Greg Gattuso was quoted: “Thomas has worked extremely hard to reach this point and I feel very strongly that he will earn a spot on the Browns’ roster.” An accompanying drawing of Greaney snagging a pass had a caption: “Welcome to the NFL Thomas Greaney.”
Greaney pointed out that, “At the end of the day, whether you get drafted or not, you’ve still got to make the team. I’ve got to show them that I’m a dependable football player and continue to do the things that got me this far.”
According to reports from Cleveland, the Browns made offers to nine free agents, but only Greaney and a running back play on the offensive side.
The first formal opportunity will be a rookie mini-camp in Cleveland from May 12 through May 14. Greaney said he will head out to Ohio a couple of days earlier, and expects to spend the summer there training.
The last Bedford resident drafted by an NFL team was Todd Russell, a 1981 BHS graduate who played at Boston College. Mike Genetti, BHS class of 1979, and Kelly Elias, class of 1973, were also drafted. Genetti played at Northeastern and Elias at BC.
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