Browns' Preseason Standout Refuses to Get Comfortable After Making 53

Those family dynamics forged the relentless mindset that Larvadain brings to practice every single day. His time in college, bouncing around between three different schools, helped turn it into what may just be his greatest weapons: an unflappable belief in himself and an unwavering work ethic.

The 22-year-old began his career at Southeastern Louisiana, just over an hour from where he grew up in that testosterone-filled home in Donaldsonville, La. He played both football and basketball for the Lions during the 2021-2022 school year, finishing his freshman campaign with 37 receptions for 521 and five touchdowns.

He returned that fall and improved upon those marks with 59 catches for 731 yards and two touchdowns, paving the way for his first transfer opportunity that December. Ironically, it brought him to Ohio, where he spent a season with the Miami Red Hawks, catching 42 passes for 678 yards and six TDs. He also flashed some versatility as a ball carrier and returner on several occasions.

Then the FBS came calling. Larvadain transferred one final time to the University of South Carolina. Naturally, his numbers dipped, he had just 19 receptions for 223 yards, a single rush and a single kick return. Playing in three different programs and multiple levels of college football was a unique learning experience, though.

"[It] helped me grow as a football player. I mean, I had to learn three playbooks," he explained. So once you do that, you kind of, you expand your knowledge of the game. And then my whole journey, I had great teammates who just, they took me in, and they helped me learn, and they were part this journey with me."

A sum of his upbringing and a well-traveled college career, Larvadain arrived in Cleveland as an undrafted rookie in May, ready for the next phase of his journey: the NFL. And while many undrafted rookies fly under the radar in their pursuit of a roster spot, Larvadain was impossible to miss.

There wasn't a day of practice during training camp when his name wasn't mentioned for making a play. It didn't matter who was at quarterback, whether he was running with the starters or backups, Larvadain put together a lengthy camp highlight reel. His goal was essentially to show up and be the same player every day. He figured the rest would take care of itself.

"I think consistency is one thing that we can control," he said. "And so my whole thing is control what you can control and then everything else will, it'll be what it is ... There's a few things I can control; my time I study my effort, my attitude — those are things that you can control. And at the end of the day that's all I got."

That mindset allowed his impressive camp practices to translate to preseason games as well – one of the more difficult challenges for young players to pull off. Larvadain was tied for the team lead in receptions (9) and yards (94) in the preseason. He also scored two touchdowns, one on an end-around against the Panthers in the first game, and then a second during an impressive two-minute drive by Dillon Gabriel heading into halftime of last Saturday's preseason finale with the Rams.

It was the perfect punctuation to a memorable preseason and a final statement from the South Carolina product that he belonged on the 53-man roster.

Three days later, that goal he'd been chasing since his arrival to rookie minicamp as an undrafted rookie in May became a reality. Even the Browns couldn't deny him a spot on the roster. His work had indeed spoken for itself.

"It's surreal. A dream come true for sure," Larvadain said of making the Browns initial 53. "God is good, and I'm super appreciative to the Haslams and Coach Stefanski, AB (Andrew Berry) for them putting their trust and faith in me to be an asset to this team."

Larvadain can certainly be that. His versatility is another one of his super powers as he highlighted his ability to play inside or outside at receiver. He can also return kicks, take handoffs, he even played some quarterback in high school if Kevin Stefanski ever has some tricks up his sleeve.

Wherever Stefanski and company ask him to line up, he'll do it. Whatever they ask him to do, he'll do it. There's simply no getting comfortable as an undrafted rookie. Every day is a fight for your job. So despite making the initial 53, that's not lost on Larvadain.

"I think just continue to prove to myself and then give them a reason to keep me around," he said. "And then prove to the other 31 teams that they made a mistake."

Larvadain is well on his way to doing that already, against all odds. Of course, the road would have been made easier had he been drafted. From a young age, that was always part of this football dream too.

He may have taken the road less traveled, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"My journey is my journey, and I wouldn't trade it for the world, he said. "I've enjoyed every moment of it. Obviously, it's a little easier to say now that we know I've made a team. Regardless of the outcome, I showed up every day and tried as hard as I could."

In many ways, Larvadain was made for the path he took. And he's made for whatever comes next in his unpredictable football career.