Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack earned a tough-guy award for playing through a grisly loss to the Tennessee Titans with appendicitis, but he's not making a big thing out of it.
"One of the first things he asked for (after surgery Monday) was his grade sheet from Sunday," Browns coach Pat Shurmur told the Akron Beacon Journal after Tuesday's practice.
Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis told The Associated Press that Mack was released from the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday, two days after undergoing the procedure. Gulkis said Mack is "resting comfortably at home and continues to progress well in his recovery."
BrownsPro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas recalls Mack complaining of stomach pain during Sunday's game, but he wasn't surprised to see his friend play through it and doesn't expect him to skip a beat.
"I think even if we didn't have a bye, he would have played this weekend anyway," Thomas told the Beacon Journal.
Former coach Eric Mangini's 2009 draft, in which the team traded away the No. 5 overall pick to the New York Jets, has been a source of criticism among some Browns fans. The Jets grabbed quarterback Mark Sanchez with that fifth slot before the Browns chose Mack with the 21st. The way we see it, Mack has delivered on all fronts, forming one of the league's finest pairings with Thomas and separating himself as one of the game's grittiest players.
