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Story by Browns Nation
September 27, 2024
Years after he became the organization’s second all-time
scorer, Cleveland made official what fans had felt for over a decade: kicker
Phil Dawson deserved to be recognized as a Browns Legend.
Dawson – along with longtime
play-by-play broadcaster Jim Donovan – were inducted last week as the 2024
class of Browns Legends during the team’s home contest against the New York
Giants.
Since first
being announced this summer, fans and former teammates have shared stories
about Dawson as his abilities on the field were among the best in the NFL.
During his press conference on
Thursday, special teams coach Bubba Ventrone – who was Dawson’s teammate –
recalled a unique story about Dawson’s capabilities on the field.
Analyst Camryn Justice
summarized his story on X, noting that Dawson could choose from one of six
varieties of onside kicks and used signals on the field to alert teammates to
which one he would employ.
#Browns Bubba Ventrone said when Phil Dawson was kicking in Cleveland he had six varieties of onside kicks he would choose from, calling which version he was going with on the field with a signal.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) September 26, 2024
Ventrone said that they had "Dawson Six Pack" t-shirts made back then.
“Ventrone said that they had
‘Dawson Six Pack’ t-shirts made back then,” Justice wrote on X.
Dawson was a
unique talent, unlike anything the NFL has seen in recent years.
The kicker started his NFL
career in the 1999 season, coinciding with the Browns’ rebirth.
Dawson played 14 years with
the Browns, making 305 of his 363 field goals attempted during that time.
The
placekicker made 24 field goals from 50-plus yards, a record he still holds for
the Browns.
After his time in Cleveland, Dawson played six more years – four with the San Francisco 49ers and two with the Arizona Cardinals.
