Dec 20, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins (82) smiles at fans during warm ups before the game between the Browns and the Las Vegas Raiders at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns fan favorite wide receiver reveals stunning new career as a firefighter

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Nick Pedone | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 9:58 AM ET

Rashard Higgins is best remembered in Cleveland for walking across an imaginary red carpet after catching touchdowns with the Browns.

But now, the fan favorite nicknamed “Hollywood” has a new career.

Higgins, 30, announced on social media late Friday evening that he has started a new career as a firefighter.

Former Browns WR Hollywood Higgins announced on Instagram that he’s a firefighter now. pic.twitter.com/ueYtOeM7OX
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) September 13, 2025

“Becoming a firefighter gives me that chance to show up when people need it most,” Higgins said in his latest Instagram post. “To be the one running in when everyone else is running out. To save lives, or simply to stand beside someone on their worst day.”

Higgins played six seasons with the Browns after being selected in the fifth-round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He caught 137 passes during his time with the Browns for 1,890 total yards and 12 memorable touchdowns.

Most famously, Higgins became a security blanket to former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, often being the most reliable option even with superstars like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry on the roster.

Upon moving on from the Browns in 2021, Higgins followed Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers where he appeared in just three games and did not receive a single target.

In 2024, the Browns gave Higgins a one-day contract along with fellow fan favorite linebacker Christian Kirksey so both could retire members of the Browns.

Higgins was with the Browns through the highs and the lows. He was a part of the 1-31 rebuild but also got to relish in the success of the 2020 playoff victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The former Colorado State receiver is also the subject of one of the biggest “what ifs” in Cleveland sports history. During Cleveland’s divisional playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Higgins was speared in a helmet-to-helmet collision by Daniel Sorenson, causing him to fumble through the back of the end zone for a safety. Targeting was not called, but had Higgins scored, the Browns would have had a real path to knocking off the Chiefs and playing in their first AFC Championship Game in the expansion era.

Now, he is serving a bigger purpose off the field, stating in his post that he was looking for a way for his children to be inspired by watching their father. He prayed, found God and unlocked a brand new purpose.

“That same rush I felt under the lights is the same rush I get when I put on my boots and step into that fire,” Higgins said.