BEREA, Ohio -- When Giants receiver Brandon Marshall finally saw the Instagram message from Browns receiver Ricardo Louis asking for help, he knew had to respond -- even though it was 18 months later.

"I appreciate a guy who reaches out for help in this generation,'' Marshall told cleveland.com last month in an email. "This generation, I feel like guys think they know it all, they have a sense of entitlement. So, for a guy to reach out and say you know what, I'm looking for a mentor, means a lot.

"I think it's extremely important for us to have mentors in our life. You know I'll do whatever I can just because of that. That's a diamond in the rough right there. So, I really appreciate him seeking help.''

Marshall, a six-time Pro Bowler and veteran of five NFL teams, said Louis, the Browns' 2016 fourth-round pick out of Auburn, was worth the time and effort.

"I think it says a lot about his character, I think it says a lot about his upbringing,'' he said. "It shows that he is on the right way. It starts with surrounding yourself with great people, to help you build a blueprint, and then executing on whatever you guys put in place."

Marshall not only responded to Louis, but fulfilled his promise to work out with him in the offseason. Before the sessions took place, a couple of weeks before training camp, Marshall acknowledged it would be a two-way street.

"We'll both benefit from each other,'' said Marshall. "Like I said, I think everyone should have a mentor. I also think everyone should have a mentee, someone they pour into. So, we'll learn from each other, we'll push each other and then also I'm sure that he'll be able to pull from the wealth and the experience that I have, being around the league going on 12 years.''

For about two weeks, Louis made the 25-minute drive from his home in Miami to Fit Speed in Ft. Lauderdale, where Marshall trained with him and a few others.

"It was definitely a blessing for him to reach back to me,'' Louis told cleveland.com. "I didn't expect him to, because I know he probably gets a lot of messages from Instagram from fans. But after a year or so he wrote me back and I was very excited, because I got a chance to work with a guy like him who's been there, who's done that. And a lot of things that he was speaking about were not only on the football field, but his life as well.''

Marshall had plenty to share with Louis about his long, arduous journey. In 2011, he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which explained his frequent run-ins with the law, his volatile relationship with his wife Michi and his one-game suspension in 2008 for a domestic incident. Marshall and Michi founded Project 375 to increase awareness of mental illness, and Marshall delivered a powerful speech to NFL owners in March on the topic.

The message resonated with Louis, who's amazed that Marshall has accomplished all he has despite the longtime battle in his mind.

"With the situation obviously he was going through, not a lot of people can come back and have a great impact, not only on the football field but also in the community and in the nation,'' Louis said. "A lot of people are watching to see what he does. Just how he went about it and how he overcame it just shows me that he's a guy that's very dedicated to what he loves and he'll do anything to give back.''

Louis (6-2, 215) sought out Marshall (6-4, 230) because they're of similar size and physical ability. They're also both fourth-round picks (Marshall was drafted out of Central Florida in 2006). Louis loves how he runs his routes, goes up and grabs the ball and gets physical.

"I searched his background,'' Louis said. "I wanted to know everything about him -- the way he came into the game and how he got to where he is now. When were together, I just watched him work and I asked him questions and he would stop ... and he would give me some pointers on how to work and things of his life on how to get better, things like focus.

"He said 'you have to have laser-like focus on what you're doing so it becomes a habit.'"

Louis' biggest takeaway from Marshall was "find something I'm good at it and just master it."

Marshall provided his own example, one that led him to eight 1,000-yard seasons and will likely land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"He has a certain release he uses -- and all of the defensive backs know that release,'' said Louis. "And he said, 'you know what? I'm the best at that release, and I mastered it. ... It doesn't matter what you do, I'm going to get open with that same release.'

"And he's like 'find something you're good at, and perfect it, master it. So when it comes to crunch time, you revert back to your fundamentals and you revert back to what you do best, and you won't be stopped.'"

Louis, used sparingly as a rookie, doesn't know what his signature skill is yet, but he has a few ideas.

"I want to get a chance to get on the field and just show it,'' he said.

Louis acknowledges he's not sure why he didn't get more chances (18 receptions for 205 yards in 35 targets) on a 1-15 team that was strapped for talent, "but the opportunities I did get, I tried to make the best of them. Obviously I was limited to the amount of reps I got but it was still a blessing to get on the field and actually get a chance to play my rookie year.

"Obviously it didn't go the way everybody wanted it to, but I took a lot from it and I learned a lot and I was just motivated to work hard and come back and be the best that I could be and help my team win.''

His dedication hasn't been lost on his coaches. Louis has made one of the biggest second-year jumps of anyone in his rookie class of 14.

"You look at Ricardo now and he's playing with so much more confidence,'' receivers coach Al Saunders said last month. "He's catching the ball really well, he's running fast and here's a guy, once again, that was a quarterback all the way through high school, he goes to college, they make him a wide receiver and he played very minimally at Auburn. I think he only caught 29 balls there in his career so he's in a tremendous developmental stage, but he's made great strides."

What's more, Louis has demonstrated the work ethic of a pro.

"There's not a guy in that room that prepares any more diligently off the field at home than Ricardo," said Saunders. "He's magnificent in his note-taking, his transcribing, the way he studies at night. He's really helped himself understanding what he has to do and now he lines up at the line of scrimmage when he hears the play and sees defense and recognizes the coverage, he goes a hundred miles an hour and he is a talented young man, so I'm thrilled that he feels really comfortable in what he's doing. He's been terrific.''

Louis isn't conceding the starting jobs to fellow 2016 draft pick Corey Coleman or Kenny Britt.

"My goal is to start and get some decent playing time and put us in position to win,'' Louis said.

And if things turn out as planned, he'll have Marshall to thank.

"He stressed that you have to overcome adversity, you have to be strong and mentally tough with everything that you do," said Louis. "He says when tough times come, they reveal the person you are deep down inside.''

Louis plans to work with Marshall in the future.

"I definitely think we'll stay in touch,'' Louis. "I think he'll be a longtime friend.''

And a willing mentor.