OMAHA, Neb. — When Joshua Cribbs showed up at TD AmeriTrade
Park Saturday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver was greeted with a
standing ovation.
His alma mater, Kent State, trailed by three runs in the first College World
Series game in the program’s history, but the fans in section 202 showed Cribbs
that they still had plenty of energy and enthusiasm.
Cribbs was responsible for getting many of them there.
Through his Team Cribbs initiative, he was instrumental in chartering a bus to
take fans more than 800 miles from the Kent State campus Friday to Saturday's
game in Omaha vs. Arkansas. Cribbs bought 53 tickets to the game, and all 46
available seats on the bus were filled by Wednesday.
"It's a good showing," Cribbs said. "This is a once in a
lifetime thing and I'm glad it came together to help people get out here. (Kent State Baseball) has been so good for so
long. Finally making it here now, I knew I didn't want to miss it. I'm glad
this whole thing kind of came together.
"It's fun. I wish the score was a little different, but this is a
beautiful place. We're going to cheer 'em on to the end."
Cribbs was Kent State's quarterback from 2001-'04. Now the NFL's all-time
leader in kickoff returns for touchdowns, he made a $100,000 donation to the
school in 2010 when his No. 9 jersey was retired.
When Kent State shortstop Jimmy Rider hit a sixth-inning home run for the
Flashes' only run in an 8-1 loss, Cribbs high-fived fans and waved a gold rally
towel.
"I actually was offered some seats up in the suite but that's not
me," Cribbs said. "I'm cheering them on from here."
The Browns had their final organized team activity practice session of the
season Friday afternoon. Cribbs and his daughter, Kimorah, flew to Omaha on
Saturday afternoon.
The bus trip, which lasted almost 16 hours after the group stopped twice to
eat, cost each traveler $150. Included was the bus transportation, a game
ticket, a special "FlashMob" Team Cribbs T-shirt, food and beverages
on the bus and a Friday night hotel stay. The bus left, headed back to Kent,
after the game — but not before Cribbs joined the group for dinner and tweeted
a picture.
One report estimated that Cribbs had spent $10,000 between chartering the bus
and buying the tickets. He didn't want to talk financial details, saying only
that he's glad it all came together.
"Worth every penny," he said.
