On Friday night, during Day 2 of the NFL Draft, ESPN’s Mike Greenberg made quite a blunder. The Cleveland Browns picked wide receiver Denzel Boston from Washington as the 39th overall choice. This piqued Greenberg’s interest since Boston shares a last name with David Boston, a former NFL wideout who had a noteworthy career with several teams.
Greenberg, on air, made an assumption, stating, “You remember his father, David Boston, who was a first-round pick out of Ohio State in 1999,” while discussing Boston’s stats from his college days. However, he quickly learned that he was mistaken.
He later issued an apology for the “mistake,” especially as Cleveland had traded out of a later pick in the draft.
Greenberg remarked, “I was actually expecting them to come back and apologize to Denzel Boston, whom I wrongly identified as the son of former NFL wide receiver David Boston earlier tonight. That was an error in my research, and a significant one at that. I sincerely apologize to both of them. This wasn’t about them.” He went on to congratulate Denzel on being drafted by the Browns.
While this was certainly a pretty big slip-up, it raises the question: If Denzel Boston can mirror some of David Boston’s impressive numbers, the Browns could find themselves with a valuable player.
David Boston boasted a Pro Bowl appearance and an All-Pro designation during his six seasons in the league. His stats include 315 receptions for 4,699 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 2001, he notably led the NFL with 98 catches for 1,598 yards and had eight touchdowns. He played for teams like the Arizona Cardinals, San Diego Chargers, and Miami Dolphins throughout his career.
