Myles Garrett created NFL history last night. But beneath the calm exterior, the Browns' Defensive End revealed a difficult battle that he faced on the inside.

"I was scared as h***. Shoot, I woke up at 7, or 6:30, and I was like, I told my guy, John (his friend and physical therapist), I was like, ‘Let’s eat, let’s talk.’ But we’ve got to talk through this and just prepare early, because there’s no way we’re going to allow anything in the way of history."

He had good reason to feel fear. Garrett stood at the cusp of history. And in the last two games, it seemed like he inched ever closer to his target. Against Buffalo, he managed just half a sack, while the Steelers didn't let him get one.

And against the Bengals, he cut it close. With just 5 minutes on the clock, Garrett managed his fastest get-off of the season, 0.23 seconds, and went after Burrow. Realizing he just broke the NFL all-time sack record for a single season, held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, Garrett pumped his fists in the air in celebration.

The game was paused for over 30 seconds, as his teammates lifted him up on their shoulders and David Njoku put an imaginary crown on his head.

"It was special. I've given everything to them. They give their very best every day and I'm so grateful, so I'm glad to have them as teammates. Like I said, it's a privilege to be with these guys, to go to work with these guys, to bleed, to sweat, and to cry for these guys. I couldn't imagine doing it with a better group of men."

But there was another reason it was a special night for Myles Garrett

Present in the stands were Garrett's parents, and once they saw the sack, even they rushed onto the field to celebrate with their son.

His father, Lawrence Garrett, held a professional camera so large, he easily could’ve been mistaken for the press. 

Garrett rushed to his family once he pulled Burrow down. In a heartfelt moment, talking about how special to have them view his record.

"I wanted to do it for myself, but I wanted so much to bring pride to my last name — my dad, my mom and all those who came before me. Especially my (grandmother), who hasn't been here for a while to see this, but I carry into the game every single time I walk onto the field. That's the kind of pride I have when I walk onto the field, whether it's practice, whether it's games."

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar