UTC's Buster Skrine poses for a portrait in the UTC locker room.In his 14th NFL game, Buster Skrine got his first interception.
The former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga cornerback made the grab Sunday in the third quarter of the Cleveland Browns' 20-17 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
"It was really nice and it was a big pick for me," Skrine said Monday. "It shows the coaches that I can go in and make plays."
Cardinals quarterback John Skelton was trying to hit wide receiver Early Doucet on a whip route, Skrine said. Skrine had good coverage on the play and stuck a hand out to break up the pass. The ball passed under his arm, hit Doucet in the chest and bounced to Skrine, who caught it in the crook of his left arm as he went to the ground.
"The quarterback was kind of locking in on the receiver and I was just hoping he'd throw it," said Skrine, a two-time All-Southern Conference corner at UTC and a fifth-round pick by the Browns last April.
It's been a tough season for the Browns, who are 4-10. After 14 games, Skrine has 14 tackles (11 solo), three kickoff returns for a total of 72 yards and the interception. He's listed as the backup left cornerback and the No. 2 kickoff returner.
Skrine said he was in for about 30 defensive plays Sunday, which is among the most he's played in a game all season. He's typically playing nickel and dime situations.
"I think I've done pretty good," he said. "I'm one of the leading tacklers on special teams, and I just feel like I'm growing as the season goes."
Skrine said he's starting to get used to the Cleveland weather, which bears little resemblance to that of the Atlanta area, where he grew up, or Chattanooga. He said he hasn't yet decided if he'll remain in Cleveland after the season or return home.
"It snows all the time, which is new to me," he said. "They do a pretty good job of putting salt on the road, so driving around here isn't too bad."
The Browns visit the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Eve and wrap up their season on New Year's Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Contact John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6268. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mocsbeatCTFP.