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.
“Ventrone said that they had ‘Dawson Six Pack’ t-shirts made back then,” Justice wrote on X.
#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.
Ventrone said that they had "Dawson Six Pack" t-shirts made back then.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) September 26, 2024
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.
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