Cleveland Browns QB Brian Hoyer’s teammates see Tom Brady in him

The darkest hour is just before the dawn. There is hope, even in the worst of circumstances.

For the past two weeks, that’s been the story with the Cleveland Browns, who after trading away arguably their most promising prospect in running back Trent Richardson for basically pennies on the dollar, it looked as though the same old Browns were back after it appeared a newfound commitment to winning had already turned into nothing but false bravado after another 0-2 start to the season.

Not only that, but the quarterback drafted to lead the franchise, Brandon Weeden, was injured after a pair of horrible performances in his first two games of the year, and Cleveland fans were once again left pondering what hope was there for a franchise that has spent much of the past decade near the bottom of the NFL’s ranks.

But then arose a glimmer of hope in the form of Brian Hoyer, a journeyman who had managed to find a home with the team he grew up cheering for.

Hoyer grew up in North Olmsted and played football at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. His parents still live in North Olmsted, where an electronic message board outside City Hall on Monday proclaimed Hoyer a “hometown hero.”