Updated

Kent State University fans on a road trip to see their school compete for the first time in the College World Series have Josh Cribbs to thank for making their journey possible.

The Cleveland Browns wide receiver -- a Kent alumni -- paid for fans of his school's baseball team to travel the 14 hours to Omaha, Neb., for the championship series, WEWS-TV reported.

Cribbs was on hand to see the group depart from Brooklyn, Ohio, on Friday -- traveling on a bus Cribbs had chartered as part of what TMZ.com said was a $10,000 investment in getting the group to Nebraska.

Asked what caused him to invest in the fans, Cribbs said, "I was a fan just like they are now. The fans drive my motivation. I feel like without them there would be no me."

His generous offering means each fan will have to pay just $150 for transport, accommodation, food and drinks -- as well as a commemorative T-shirt.

"We're going to be 50-deep in the stands cheering for our Golden Flashes and making sure we bring home a World Series championship," Cribbs said. "We're gonna be out there in numbers ... and bringing home a winner."

Kent first takes on Arkansas in the deciding series, which begins Saturday.