CLEVELAND, Ohio ---- Danny Shelton will miss all three weeks of Browns organized team activities, but it's only human nature.



The No. 12 overall pick headed back to Washington after rookie camp two weekends ago to graduate on June 14th with his degree in anthropology, the study of humans, past and present.



The problem is, he'll miss all ten OTA practices beginning next week while the other while the other 11 members of his rookie class will be side-by-side with the veterans, learning complex schemes and playcalls.



"I'm on a little different schedule because I haven't finished school yet,'' Shelton said at rookie camp. "I'm focusing on trying to get in this work, get the most out of this weekend and get into my playbook, but at the same time be on track to graduate in June and come back and get right back on pace with these guys.''



Granted, he'll be back in time for the Browns' mandatory minicamp June 16-18, but he'll have to study his defensive playbook over the next month as hard as he has his anthropology curriculum over the past four years. Some of the other rookies have also been able to participate in the final two weeks of Phase II of the offseason program, which wraps up this week.



"It's going to have to be a lot of accountability,'' he said. "I'm going to have to make sure I'm communicating with the coaches, make sure I'm getting in the playbook and make sure that I'm keeping my cardio up at the same time."



No matter how much time Shelton spends on NFL Defense 101 between now and June 16, he'll still be behind when he walks in the door for minicamp. Even restricted free safety Tashaun Gipson, who's missed a month of voluntary workouts because he's not under contract, is falling behind despite the fact he knows the defense, according to defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil.



"The guys that are here are getting a lot better,'' O'Neil said at rookie camp, speaking specifically about the secondary. "Those guys are growing. Gip's going to have some catching up to do when he comes back."



But if anyone on the team will be determined enough to make up for lost time, it will be Shelton, who was the only player in the nation to earn first-team Academic All-America honors as well as first-team All-America honors in 2014. The day after the draft, he was holed up at the Browns facility cramming homework in between meeting with the staff and his introductory press conference.



"I'm going to be that guy who outworks people," said Shelton. "I'm going to be that guy who breaks stereotypes, breaks negativity, and brings the positive energy. I'm just excited to get in and work with these guys and be a part of the Dawg Pound."



If his practice habits at Washington were any indication, Shelton will be back up to speed in no time. He parlayed them into a breakout season, finishing first in the country with five fumble recoveries, 19th with nine sacks and 14th with 16.5 tackles for a loss.



"It's kind of been my mentality at Washington -- we've got to attack violently,'' he said. "That doesn't just mean with your pass-rush moves. It means with your pursuit. I was always taught to just pursue down the field. After you make a play, practice the right habits. You never know what will happen if I miss a tackle and it's a screen and I have to just redirect and make a play down the field."



Shelton, who watched two of his brothers get shot including one fatally when Shelton was a senior in high school, majored in anthropology to help struggling youth and also to connect with his Samoan roots.



"(I'm) trying to create methods of decolonization, trying to work with the youth and help them get in touch with their culture,'' he said. "I took a study abroad trip to Tahiti twice. Embracing my major and embracing my culture."

What's more, Shelton believes the study of human cultures will help him be a better pro.

"That correlates to the field with being able to understand where other players are coming from, understand different perspectives and being open to everybody, and at the same time, being coachable and being able to learn new positions and just better my knowledge of the game,'' he said.

On draft day, he wore the traditional Polynesian lava-lava to the NFL draft as a nod to his heritage. It drew extra attention when he bear-hugged NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and lifted him off his feet on the draft stage in Chicago.



"Polynesian culture, we're a humble people,'' he said. "Any chance we get to be in the limelight and to be able to represent our people, our family, we take that chance. That's what I wanted to do throughout the draft. I knew I was going to get picked up some time, and I just wanted make sure that I was representing my family, my culture and my university the right way. I'm representing my culture with this wardrobe."

On June 14th, Shelton will walk with the class of 2015 at Washington's Commencement ceremony, and make his family proud.

"He's a good boy,'' said his mother, Oneone, after Shelton's introductory press conference. "He's changed everything. He's changed our lives, too. He's a role model for our family."

On June 16th, he'll walk back onto the field in Berea and try be the same thing for the Browns.