'I'm trying to be more of a pro': Why Browns' Greg Newsome II had older sister move in

BEREA, Ohio — When Greg Newsome II was growing up, his older sister by 18 months mapped out their living arrangements for adulthood.

Zakiya Newsome had it all figured out, despite her brother protesting.

“I always used to tell Greg, 'We're going to end up living together. You're going to have the east wing of the house. I'm going to have to have the west wing,'” she said. “He used to say, 'Zakiya, I am not living with you.'”

Zakiya should have placed a gargantuan bet.

In early May, she left the family's hometown of Chicago and her full-time job at a non-profit organization to move in with Greg just east of downtown Cleveland.

“The crazy part is this time he asked me to live with him. This was his idea,” Zakiya said in a recent interview with the Beacon Journal during Browns training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

It's not every day that an NFL player implores his older sister to live with him — not only to run his household, but also to give him tough love when necessary.

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Cleveland Browns have high hopes for Greg Newsome II

Greg did, though. The Browns believe the cornerback from Northwestern University has All-Pro potential, and he has an undeniable desire to be great. One of the stars of training camp this summer in Berea, Greg is smart enough to realize a razor-sharp focus on football is required if he wants to maximize his talent, especially early in his career.

Enter Zakiya. She has become crucial to Greg's mission to build on the promising season he had last year as a rookie first-round draft pick (No. 26 overall).

“A lot of people don't realize the hardships that we have coming into the NFL, having that fame, having money, not really having that structure around you, especially when you're by yourself,” Greg told the Beacon Journal. “I think she's just a great person for me to have around, tell me yes, tell me no.

“I was by myself [last year], so I was going through the whole thing by myself. Even though I think I did a great job, there were some things that you need a little parental guidance for certain things, and I think she's going to be a great person for that just to keep me a little more grounded during the season.”

Being young, rich and famous puts the party scene at the fingertips of professional athletes, and many of them find it to be irresistible. Greg doesn't deny occasionally indulging in the nightlife as a rookie, but he doesn't believe it interfered with his work.

“I don't think I was going out too much,” he said. “I was able to balance that, and even the times I did go out, I don't drink, especially if I go out during the season.”

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Greg Newsome II benefiting from routine this offseason

What proved to be more difficult for Greg, he said, was keeping his inner circle tight. He explained “allowing people in your life that don't deserve to be” tends to be problematic.

“Some people,” he added, “can take advantage of stuff like that.”

Zakiya, 23, takes the unwritten rules of being an older sibling seriously. For example, she isn't shy when it comes to reminding Greg, 22, about his priorities.

“I feel like sometimes [Greg] wants to help people so much that he doesn't see sometimes these people aren't the best people for you,” she said. “... He's a nice guy. I guess I'm the mean person. I'm like, 'No, no, I don't care.' I will say no in a heartbeat. If he doesn't want to say no, he'll just be like, 'Oh, yeah. Talk to my sister.' I'll be like, 'No, this is not happening.'”

A former college basketball player at North Park University in Chicago, Zakiya is familiar with the sacrifices athletes ought to make to excel in the arena. She can be brutally honest, too. She's even been known to break down Greg's football film with her parents and offer critiques.

Her boyfriend, Oliver Chell, knows sports, too. He played soccer at North Park, and they met while rehabilitating from torn anterior cruciate ligaments in the athletic department's training room. Now Chell works in marketing for NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus, and he moved with Zakiya to Cleveland upon Greg's request. During the league's traditional vacation time in the buildup to training camp, the couple spent a month in Chell's native England before returning to Northeast Ohio.

With training camp in full swing, Zakiya has resumed removing day-to-day responsibilities from her brother's shoulders, just like she did throughout spring practices. Greg credited the setup for allowing him to thrive in organized team activities. Zakiya cooks for him and cares for his two German Shepherds, Bruno and Blaze.

“She's just keeping me on a routine, whether that's getting enough sleep all the time, eating right all the time,” Greg said. “I'm trying to be more of a pro than I was last year.

“The way she's taking care of everything else for me, football is the only thing I have to worry about at this point.”

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Browns defensive backs coach Jeff Howard believes Greg Newsome II can reach lofty goals

NFL players often rely on meals at team facilities this time of year, but whenever Greg eats at home, Zakiya said it's her cooking. He's at Browns headquarters from about 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. during a typical camp day. When he would return home last year, exhaustion would set in and convenience would influence his diet.

“He just used to order food out,” Zakiya said. “He wasn't getting the right nutrition. So I'm making sure he's eating right, making sure he's getting all his calories, just making sure he really doesn't have to worry about nothing but waking up and coming to play football.”

Browns defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Jeff Howard has been impressed with Greg's progress ahead of his second professional season. He showed last year he could handle outside cornerback and nickelback duties, and the coaching staff is counting on him to tackle both responsibilities from the beginning of the 2022 season. The plan is for Greg to start opposite two-time Pro Bowl selection Denzel Ward and slide into the slot when three cornerbacks are deployed.

“He learned multiple positions for us last year at corner and nickel,” Howard said, “and I think that's something I haven't seen a lot of corners be able to do. He's extremely intelligent, very focused. Football is very important to him, so he spends a lot of time with it.

“Moving on, my message to him was, 'Where's the next step?' He aspires to a lot. I think he can get there.”

Last season, Greg had 37 tackles and nine passes defensed in 12 games, 11 of which he started. He missed two games with a calf injury, two with a concussion and one due to COVID-19. He found himself in two protocols — concussion and COVID-19 — simultaneously just before Christmas.

“I was definitely down and out,” Greg said, adding his loved ones helped him overcome the disappointment. He returned for the last two games of the season and finished ranked 32nd among the 116 qualifying cornerbacks ProFootballFocus.com graded last year.

Now Greg is more comfortable on and off the field. He has adjusted to life in the NFL and the playbook used by defensive coordinator Joe Woods. He also has a support system with him in Cleveland.

“I think you'll be able to see that true first-round draft pick that they got,” Greg said. “I think I had an OK rookie year. It was good. People think it was really good, but I don't think that was even close to my potential. I'm looking to make a huge leap to my potential.”

Behind the scenes, Zakiya is giving her brother a boost. A job like this might call for a title, perhaps something like CEO of Greg Enterprises.

“I like that,” Zakiya said.

She's already proudly wearing the label of big sister.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Greg Newsome II summons sister for help off the field