BEREA, Ohio — William Green had two options: run out of bounds and settle for a good gain, or fight for extra yardage and perhaps a first down.
On a simple swing pass last Sunday against Baltimore, the Cleveland running back made a decision that epitomized his attempt to come back from a series of personal problems.
Green elected to stay on the field — one he never wants to leave again.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time a back will get hit like that on the sideline and just kind of step out," said Browns left guard Paul Zukauskas. "But he made a negative into a positive, and that's what he's been doing."
For months now, Green has been trying to make the right decisions in his life and career. Last year, both were a mess.
He was suspended last season for failing the league's substance-abuse policy and missed the final eight games. In addition, Green served a three-day jail sentence for a DUI conviction, went through alcohol rehab and was involved in a domestic incident in which he was stabbed by the mother of his two daughters.
So Sunday's opener against the Ravens was much more than just his first game since Oct. 18. It was another beginning for Green, a former Boston College star whose parents both died of AIDS when he was growing up.
"It was a good feeling just to get back out there," Green said. "But I really don't think about that (past) stuff. I think about it like, 'OK, this is my job, this what I got to go do.' I'm not looking back into the past. I'm looking forward."
Starting in place of the injured Lee Suggs, Green rushed for 65 yards on 22 carries and made four receptions for 27 more yards in Cleveland's surprising 20-3 win.
Green's numbers weren't flashy, but that hardly mattered. He was back doing what he does best, making linebackers miss with a hip swivel, powering through defensive linemen or stiff-arming oncoming cornerbacks.
His return has inspired teammates, who have never wavered in their support of the 24-year-old.
"You can't help but respect a guy like that, a guy who has a lot of pressure on his shoulders and he comes in and holds his head up every day," said linebacker Andra Davis. "He answers questions with actions. He takes the criticism that fans and opposing teams deliver, and he goes on about his business."
With the Browns clinging to a 10-3 lead in the third quarter on Sunday, Green's determination on a second-and-7 play helped keep a crucial drive alive.
Swinging out of the backfield, Green caught a pass from Jeff Garcia and made three Baltimore defenders grab at air.
He was nearly knocked onto the Ravens' sideline, but Green kept his balance, backpedalled and staggered for more yardage and a crucial first down.
"That was big," Davis said. "He made three linebackers miss, including Ray Lewis. We were cheering on the bench. We all loved to see that."
Garcia wasn't surprised. Since signing as a free agent in Cleveland, he has been impressed with Green's drive to stay sober and focused on football and family.
"He has had to overcome some tremendous difficulties in life," Garcia said. "What I've seen in him is not reflective of some of the decisions he has made."
Garcia can relate to Green's personal problems. In March, Garcia pleaded guilty to a DUI charge, was sentenced to a work-release program and had some driving privileges taken away.
"It's just like me. I don't feel good about some of the decisions I've made, because they are not reflective of who I am," Garcia said. "He is someone who wants to get out on the field, prove people wrong and show he can still play the position."
Following Sunday's win, Green was visited in the locker room by Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, in town as part of a celebration of the Browns' 1964 NFL championship team.
"I'm proud of you," Brown said, grabbing Green's hand.
Green smiled at the praise, words he had longed to hear again. After the recent disorder in Green's life, it's a feeling he and his teammates cherish.
"The situation he went through made him stronger," Davis said. "We always talk, our daughters were born on the same day and before the game we're always talking that we have another mouth to feed. That we have to go out and make it happen.
"He went out and made it happen."