Filipino American quarterback makes history in the NFL

 

BROWNS

The Cleveland Browns gave Dillon Gabriel his first NFL start Sunday.

Dillon Gabriel finished his first professional football game completing 19 of 33 passing attempts for 190 yards and two Cleveland Browns' touchdowns, with his longest completion of the day for 22 yards.

Despite a respectable performance for the highly touted rookie out of Hawaii via the University of Oregon, the Browns lost to the tough defense of the Minnesota Vikings in London, 21-17.

"A lot of positives," said head coach Kevin Stefanski of Gabriel's performance. 
"Obviously, he can always better, and certainly we as an offense have to get better and score more to help this football team." 

Gabriel, 24, made his first pro-start during Filipino American History Month as he became only the second Filiipino American starting quarterback in the National Football League. The late Roman Gabriel, no relation, of the Los Angeles Rams and who was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1969.

Dillon Gabriel, whose mixed racial heritage includes Native Hawaiian and Filipino, was starting because of the declining performance of Joe Flacco, the Brown's starting quarterback, who led the team to a disappointing 1-3 record before the Brown's gave the ball to Gabriel.

Despite the loss, Gabriel's first game in his position highlighted positives in which they can build on moving forward.

What impressed the coaches and onlookers was his composure and he didn't turn the ball over despite the Vikings blitz-heavy defense.

"For a young player in that environment versus that defense to take care of the ball, make the plays he made, I thought was a lot of positives with plenty to clean up," said Stefanski. "And that's what he will do. And that's the mentality he has, certainly to be a player that continues to get better week in and week out."

As he prepares the Pittsburgh Steelers next week on the road, Gabriel is taking the lessons he learned from his first start with him.

"I think there's always something to build on," Gabriel said. "No moral victories whatsoever, but I think regardless of result, week to week, there's a process. And the more time you spend around anyone, you're going to get more continuity. That's key with your receiver, that's key with your running back, that's key as a whole unit coming together really and getting comfortable with our unit."

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