Dawg Pound Lounge ,


	    

	    CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On an jalapeno-hot morning inside Cleveland Browns Stadium, John Hughes tried matching the fervor of dozens of youth football campers, many of whom stood eye to belly button with the 6-foot-2, 320-pound defensive tackle.
With his white cap turned backward atop his unruly mop of hair, Hughes passed and punted balls, pursued kids around the field grabbing at their flags and even engaged in a little trash talk during the hour-long session hosted by Browns rookies on Wednesday.
"No way you're gonna catch me," one blonde-haired boy yelled.
Hughes smiled and darted after the youngster. Another doubter, another challenge.
From almost the moment the Browns chose the University of Cincinnati product in the third round of the NFL draft, Hughes has dealt with skepticism. He knows some fans were hoping for a play-making receiver. He has heard analysts describe the pick as "a reach," and read how the Columbus native would have been available much further down the draft board.
They are entitled to their opinions, Hughes said, and he takes no offense to them.
"It doesn't hurt because I know my capabilities and I can't wait to go out there and show them," Hughes said.
It's an attitude he's developed over the past four years while trying validate the faith loved ones and coaches have placed in him.
 Cleveland Browns rookies coach youth football campers Cleveland Browns rookies made a trip to Cleveland Browns Stadium to help out with the team's three-day Youth Football Camp. The camp gives the 250 participants a chance to sharpen their skills and work on basic football fundamentals. Watch video <!-- --><!-- -->
Critics are nothing new to Hughes, who scared off some major college recruiters because of suspect work ethic and academics. It wasn't long ago he had to stand before the woman who raised him and explain why he was failing math at Gahanna Lincoln High School. The disappointment in the face of a 79-year-old grandmother stings more than an irate sports talk caller questioning his credentials as the No. 87th overall pick.
Since leaving high school, coaches have witnessed substantial growth in a defensive lineman who graduated in December with a degree in criminal justice.
"John has matured on and off the field," Bearcats defensive line coach Steve Stripling said, noting Hughes' internship at a Cincinnati-area youth detention center. "I have seen him become hungrier and quicker over the last two years. He has taken on the responsibility to make himself a better player."
Hughes, 24, said he learned from his own mistakes and the those of others to evolve into a defensive lineman who registered 51 tackles -- including 12-1/2 for loss -- and five sacks during his senior season. He enters training camp next month as one of several candidates looking to start alongside Ahtyba Rubin in the Browns' defensive interior. He will battling veterans Scott Paxson and Brian Schaefering, along with sixth-round pick Billy Winn. Paxson drew first-team reps during minicamp and organized team activities.
Even before the Browns lost Phil Taylor to a torn pectoral muscle in May, they wanted to add depth at the position. Their starters were overworked with Rubin taking the second-most snaps (86 percent) among NFL defensive tackles last season.
Browns coach Pat Shurmur said it's difficult to evaluate rookie linemen prior to training camp because of the lack of contact drills. What little Shurmur has seen of Hughes and Winn he likes.
"They use their hands well," he said. "It looks like they can separate from blocks well ... I think those guys are competing to be one of our defensive tackles and that's why we drafted them."
Count Hughes among those who were a bit surprised by his third-round selection. His family had planned a draft party for April 28, a day after the Browns picked him. Hughes said he's tried to tune out the criticism, but concedes in moments of boredom he's done a few Google searches on the Internet.
"It's not easy because it's everywhere," Hughes said of draft analysis. " It is motivation, but I just try to avoid it when I can. Usually, when I type in my name, the [late] film director John Hughes pops up anyway."
The rookie paused.
"I'm a fan of his 'Home Alone' movies."
He is thrilled to once again be playing so close to home, affording his grandmother, Esther Hughes, the opportunity to attend games. She just retired two weeks ago, Hughes said, from driving school buses.
"She worked her entire life and I never heard her complain once," he said. "She always stayed on me. She kept me on the right path even when I sometimes strayed."
Time will tell if the Browns or the skeptics are right about Hughes. Until then, he'll just keep tracking ball carriers at the stadium whether they're pros in hip pads or seven-year-olds with flags streaming behind them.