A kickoff return is one of the most exciting plays in football, but is it worthy of a bench-clearing celebration? It was on Thursday.

Browns rookie Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi returned a punt 86 yards for a TD in the final minutes of the Browns’ 30-10 preseason win over the Redskins on Thursday night in Cleveland. All the players on the Browns sidelines mobbed him to celebrate the score.

That’s because in April, Sheehy-Guiseppi was sleeping outside with his two bags and a patch of grass in Miami, trying to realize his NFL dream, according to Cleveland.com. Sheehy-Guiseppi. He was spending his nights getting as much rest as he could outdoors, just steps from renowned NFL Combine trainer Pete Bommarito’s facility, where Sheehy-Guiseppi had spent his last $200 on training services.

Why did he do it? Because his workout with the Browns, perhaps his one-and-only shot at the NFL, was a week away.

Making this story more incredible, the kick returner, who put up big numbers at Phoenix College, convinced Browns vice president of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith he was supposed to be at the tryout that was held in North, Miami, and the rest was history.

Sheehy-Guiseppi, who’s based in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., didn’t come to the Browns without a résumé. He was once an NJCAA All-American returner.

He racked up 1,178 kickoff return yards in his first season at Phoenix College, then improved on that by leading the nation in kick-return yardage (1,278) and kick-return touchdowns (4) in his second season. He also finished second in the NJCAA in yards per kick return (32.8) and punt return yards (400).

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield also had a solid preseason debut, throwing a touchdown pass, and Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t play. But Sheehy-Guiseppi’s impressive kick return — and the team’s reaction — was the highlight of the Browns’ night.