Phil Dawson: "The greatest kicker in Browns history"

By Tony Grossi

October 29, 2011

Hey, Tony: How does Phil Dawson's field goal percentage compare to that of opposing kickers in Browns Stadium? -- Chadrick McNeal, Elida, Ohio

Hey, Chadrick: Your question would take a great deal of research to answer. I may pursue it because I suspect Dawson's percentage at home is a lot better than opposing kickers. I liken Dawson to Matt Bahr, who had better numbers in the kicker's graveyard known as Municipal Stadium than on the road. I know it's heresy, but Dawson in my opinion is the greatest kicker in Browns history. Kickers are bigger, stronger and more accurate than at any time in NFL history.

Making a strong case for Phil Dawson as MVP

TERRY PLUTO’S SCRIBBLES

By Terry Pluto

October 31, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO -- Scribbles in my notebook after the Browns' 20-10 loss in San Francisco:

I'd like to see the no-huddle offense given a real try, and some screen passes. But I also know that suddenly thinking the Browns can fire the ball downfield is not being realistic.

Maybe Montario Hardesty's calf injury isn't a big deal. But let's face it, durability has been a problem for him. Prior to last season's knee surgery, he had knee and other injury issues at Tennessee before rushing for 1,345 yards as a senior. He carried the ball 33 times for 95 yards in the Browns' 6-3 victory over Seattle on Oct. 23, but was gone after two carries Sunday.

Phil Dawson kicked a 52-yard field goal and is a career best 4-of-4 on field goals of at least 50 yards this season. He is 10-of-10 in field goals when they aren’t blocked, and a strong case can be made for him being the MVP so far this season.

After two dismal performances, the special teams were very good. San Francisco's Ted Ginn's longest return was for 22 yards. Brad Maynard did a super job with his directional punting, keeping the ball high and near the sidelines. Joshua Cribbs' had a 31-yard kickoff return (second-longest allowed by the 49ers this season), and his 17-yard punt return was the longest given up by Brad Seely's unit.

Dawson said special teams coordinator Chris Tabor surprised and pleased the players when he showed a 15-minute video on Saturday night ... not of their mistakes, or of the 49ers... "but of the things we did well this season. It reminded us that we can be pretty good when we do the little things."

D'Qwell Jackson not only had three goal-line stops, but the linebacker had five tackles for losses. But the Browns could manage only one quarterback hit (by Brian Schaefering) and one sack (Phil Taylor) on Alex Smith, who had lots of time to throw. Part of the reason was Frank Gore and an effective power running game -- 39 carries producing 174 yards.

San Francisco 49ers' Ted Ginn Jr. followed his father's path

By Cam Inman

October 27, 2011

Ted Ginn Sr. would rent a van every June and load up the precious cargo: young, promising but overlooked high school athletes.

They would depart from the Cleveland area and travel to colleges all across the country, determined to make an impression on others -- not to mention themselves.
Two of those players now start for the 49ers: wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and strong safety Donte Whitner.

"I felt everybody wanted to go to Texas and Florida to get athletes, and I wanted to change that," Ginn Sr. said by phone Thursday. "I had to turn the heads of the universities to make people see that there is greatness in Cleveland, there is greatness in Ohio, there is greatness at Glenville High School.

"Those guys were the pioneers."

Since those trailblazing days, Ginn, the head coach at Glenville, has helped more than 100 players earn college scholarships and launched a school for at-risk boys. He and his wife will make the trip west to watch the 49ers face the hometown Browns on Sunday -- only this time by airplane rather than rental van.

"It was all his vision. I know for a fact me and Teddy are in the National Football League because of him," Whitner said. " ... We didn't really believe that we could make it to this level."

The younger Ginn and Whitner were teammates at Glenville and Ohio State before starting their NFL careers with lowly franchises in Miami and Buffalo, respectively. Now 26, both are flourishing in their first year together in San Francisco.

Their path was laid by the elder Ginn, whose had an immeasurable impact in the Cleveland community. Among the slew of athletes he has helped earn scholarships is Troy Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy at Ohio State in 2006 and played quarterback for the 49ers last season.

"He means a lot to the community, to the people, to the kids," Ted Jr. said of his dad, noting the good examples he has to show others. "It makes his job a little easier. He can say, 'Hey look, it can happen for you if you do this, do that.' "

Five years ago, the all-male Ginn Academy opened, and enrollment has risen steadily to 300 students. Ted Jr. paid a visit during the 49ers' five-day layover in Ohio last month. In showing them that he's just a regular guy, the 49ers' speedy return man may have very well saved a few lives, his father reasons.

"We came from an environment that didn't have expectations," Ted Sr. said. "I started teaching expectations, then it takes kids like them to achieve it to give the next group hope."

That message echoed throughout a rental van nearly a decade ago. The Ginns and other prospects were a traveling showcase, rolling from state to state. They would bunk at hotels and sometimes get caught with too many people in a room. Those seven to 10 passengers learned they were just as talented as the Florida and Texas players labeled No. 1 by the recruiting magazines.

"We'd go around to schools -- from Purdue to North Carolina State to Florida to Miami -- and we were competing against all these kids," Whitner said. "We would start to gain more and more confidence."

Glenville became a talent pipeline to Ohio State, starting in 2002 with Smith, who referred to Ted Sr. as "my dad" in his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech.

Whitner traced his work ethic to his high school days with the elder Ginn. At the time, Whitner's father, Lindsey Robinson, was in jail on robbery and drug charges. Whitner lived with his mom but would get daily rides from Ginn, who also would take the boys to a personal trainer after practice and then back to the Ginn house for protein shakes.

"He was really tough on us," Whitner said. "I was almost his son in high school. I am his son."

Whitner signed a three-year, $11.75 million contract with the 49ers this summer and reunited with Ginn, who was traded from Miami to San Francisco in April 2010.

Together they've contributed to the 49ers' hot start. While Whitner has solidified the secondary, Ginn's return skills are among the league's best; Ginn scored touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns to clinch the season-opening win over Seattle.

On Sunday at Candlestick Park, Ted Sr. will get to watch both of his sons in action, a culmination of the dream hatched on cross-country van trips many years ago.

"I gave them a game plan and a blueprint on how they need to go through life, to achieve things they're able to achieve," Ted Sr. said. "Then I gave them a work ethic that they didn't like. Now they understand why that work ethic they had in high school has paid off -- to get paid for something they love."