Malik McDowell is getting a second chance in the NFL.
The former standout Michigan State defensive tackle and second-round draft pick who never appeared in a game and ran into legal trouble signed with the Cleveland Browns on Monday as a free agent.
McDowell, 24, is a Southfield High School graduate who spent three seasons with the Spartans before being selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. Injuries suffered in an ATV accident resulted in him never playing a snap for the team, which waived him with the non-football injury designation in 2018.
Following what would have been his rookie season, McDowell, 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, was arrested in Atlanta in 2017 for disorderly conduct. He was arrested in 2019 for drunk driving and resisting arrest and, in a separate incident, receiving and concealing stolen property. Those charges led to him being sentenced to 11 months in jail, according to The Oakland Press.
The Miami Dolphins brought McDowell in for a tryout last year. Now he has another shot to make an NFL team.
“We are certainly aware of Malik’s past, as we have done extensive work on him for the last two months,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a press release on Monday. “He is accountable for his actions and has had to live with the consequences for decisions earlier in his life. We believe Malik is in a good place, personally and medically. He has taken the necessary steps to get on a healthy path, and has learned from his experiences. Malik understands the expectations we have of him as he attempts to make our football team. He is committed to taking advantage of the support network in place to become the best version of himself – both on and off the field – and we will support him as he attempts to make his return to football.”