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The Browns utilized their last location crippled to grant Bryce Dunlap’s life-saving organ donation and his mother, Kimberly Dunlap Kane. (Images via Getty and Twitter/X)
The Cleveland Browns’ Week 17 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers came with a pregame infinitesimal that pulled attraction distant from the standings and consecutive to the bosom of Huntington Bank Field.Kimberly Dunlap Kane, the parent of Bryce Dunlap, served arsenic the Browns’ Dawg Pound Captain for the last location crippled of the 2025 season. The tribute carried existent weight. Bryce Dunlap was the organ donor who saved the beingness of Browns fable Bernie Kosar, and his household was honored successful beforehand of a afloat stadium earlier kickoff.
How Bryce Dunlap’s liver donation became the centerpiece of Cleveland’s last location game
Before Kane walked onto the field, the Browns played a recorded connection from Kosar connected the stadium video board.
The timing mattered. This was Cleveland’s past location crippled of the play and the squad chose to halfway it connected gratitude, not football.“I can’t adjacent statesman to stock however appreciative I americium for the acquisition I received from Bryce Dunlap,” Kosar said. “Everyone delight get connected your feet, and marque immoderate sound and amusement immoderate enactment for my hero, Bryce.”Kane past stepped onto the tract and smashed a black-and-yellow, Steelers-themed guitar to commencement the game.
It was symbolic, but not theatrical. The infinitesimal was astir Bryce, not the rivalry.
Bryce Dunlap passed distant connected Nov. 16 astatine property 21 aft complications from an anoxic encephalon injury. His household selected Kosar arsenic the recipient of Bryce’s liver done a directed donation. Kosar received the transplant connected Nov. 17 and was discharged from the infirmary connected Nov. 24.According to the Browns, the enactment and Kosar person remained successful interaction with the Dunlap household since the transplant.
The squad confirmed Kane’s Dawg Pound Captain relation up of kickoff and shared the infinitesimal publicly, crediting Bryce straight for Kosar’s recovery.
Bernie Kosar’s connection and wherefore this tribute went beyond a emblematic game-day honor
Kosar was not successful attendance for the game, but helium shared his enactment again done societal media. His connection stayed consistent. This was astir honoring Bryce and his family, not celebrating his ain recovery.“Hi, Browns fans,” Kosar said successful the video posted by the team. “I can’t adjacent statesman to stock however appreciative I americium for the acquisition I received from Bryce Dunlap.
Everyone, delight get connected your feet and marque immoderate sound to amusement your enactment for my hero, Bryce. And present to correspond Bryce is his mother, Kimberly Dunlap Kane, who’ll beryllium today’s Dawg Pound Captain. You matter, Go Browns.”Kosar has dealt with cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s illness since 2024, making the transplant necessary. The donation was processed done LifeBanc, a nonprofit organ procurement organization.
Kosar shared a betterment update aft country and has remained publically thankful to the Dunlap family.The Browns’ determination to halfway their last location pregame ceremonial astir Kane reframed the day. It was not astir playoff implications oregon play results. It was astir acknowledging the outgo of Bryce Dunlap’s acquisition and the household down it.Cleveland has hosted galore Dawg Pound Captains implicit the years. This 1 stood apart. Not due to the fact that of spectacle, but due to the fact that it reminded everyone successful the gathering that immoderate moments successful the NFL person thing to bash with shot and everything to bash with life.
