Browns' Haden makes good on his word

CANTON, Ohio -- Joe Haden: Football player, baseball fan, owner of endless amounts of energy.

And man of his word.

When Haden answered a random Twitter request earlier this spring to sponsor a youth baseball team in the Canton area, the Cleveland Browns cornerback did so with a promise that he'd eventually get involved with the team now called "Haden Nation" in ways that went beyond handing over an envelope with $325 inside.

That the kids who now wear Haden's name on their uniforms on hats now know their sponsor - and have the photos to prove it - shows the power of both Twitter and Haden's generosity.

It was the last day of March when Mike Clapper, coach of a team 12-year-old baseball players in Plain Township, just outside of Canton, received word from a league official that the previous year's sponsor had pulled out. Clapper was at work the next day on the computer when he decided he would go for a long shot, signing onto Twitter and sending a tweet to three different Browns players asking if they would be interested in sponsoring his team.

"I just figured I'd take a stab in the dark," Clapper said. "It wouldn't hurt to ask, but in no way did I expect to get any response."

A few minutes later, Clapper received a direct message from Haden's popular Twitter account, @JoeHaden23. It was Haden, asking for details on the sponsorship and how he could get the money to the coach.

"Well, at least I thought it was Joe," Clapper said. "With Twitter, you don't know if it's actually somebody. And then I looked at the calendar and saw it was April 1st, and I really thought it might be somebody joking with me."

Haden then called Clapper, not only alleviating his fears but allowing him to move forward with the deal. He reported back to league officials that his team had a sponsor via the Cleveland Browns and would be changing its team name to "Haden Nation."

"Once the word got out, other people around our league said things to me like, 'Aren't you catching on? It has to be an April Fool's joke,' " Clapper said. "But I talked to Sean (Cabble, Haden's business manager) through the next week, and I kept kind of hoping. We met up and Sean gave me the money."

And the games were on.

"Giving the money to the baseball team (is) the least I could do," Haden said. "I'm really fortunate to have grown up watching my father help people when he could. And now that I'm in the position to do the same, I'm always looking to do the same. It's fun. I have a new favorite baseball team."

The Haden Nation baseball team rallied to force extra innings in the first game of its doubleheader last Saturday at about the same time Joe Haden showed up to offer his support. He had just flown in from his childhood home in Maryland and came directly to the game to offer his support.  The drive from Cleveland Hopkins Airport to Plain Township is every bit of an hour, maybe more.

That's dedication, and that's Haden. Even with NFL players locked out of work, Haden has been busy mixing workouts with travel, charity work and his share of fun. Before celebrating his 22nd birthday in April, Haden showed up at a handful of Cleveland Cavaliers games in full uniform, including a Baron Davis beard for one game and an Anderson Varejao wig for another.

He was spotted by local television at two Cleveland Indians games this week dressed like a regular fan but has promised to show up in full uniform soon, maybe as soon as this weekend.

"I tend to go all in with things," Haden joked.

When Haden arrived at Haden Nation's game last weekend, he sat in the dugout and talked with the players "like they were old friends," said Austin Clapper, the team's second baseman and son of the manager.

"Joe made sure he talked to everybody," he said. "It really pumped us up. It was a cool thing."

Haden Nation won the first game in nine innings and won the second, too, to improve to 3-0 on the season.

"The kids were thrilled," Mike Clapper said. "He stayed probably an hour and a half. He took pictures and signed autographs for all who asked."

Cabble, who accompanied Haden to the game, said Haden "was kind of flattered to have been asked to help the team. He loved the idea."

On Sunday, Haden posted a picture of himself and Cabble wearing their honorary jerseys and Haden Nation hats on his Twitter account. Though he'd much rather be getting officially back to work and preparing to build on an outstanding rookie season that saw him record six interceptions, he's doing a pretty good job of building his brand -- and making memories for a bunch of 12-year old baseball players -- in the meantime.