• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Browns Nation

Browns News. Rumors. Highlights. Now

  • Home
  • News
  • Free Agents
  • Draft
  • Podcast
  • History
  • All-Time Lists
  • Team
    • Shop
    • Schedule
  • About
You are here: Home / Daily News / Cleveland Browns 2020 Training Camp Special Teams Preview (Part 1)

Cleveland Browns 2020 Training Camp Special Teams Preview (Part 1)

By Wendi Oliveros July 24, 2020 @WendiOliveros1

jamie gillan punting the football
(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

 

The Cleveland Browns are scheduled to open full squad training camp on July 28.

To celebrate this, we will take a look at how the special teams unit is shaping up for the 2020 season.

This is the first of a two-part series.

In this part, we will focus on the kickers and long snapper.

The second part will focus on the returners.

 

Placekicker – Austin Seibert

 

Austin Seibert is 23 years old.

Drafted in the 5th round (170th overall) of the 2019 draft from Oklahoma.

At Oklahoma, he was both the punter and placekicker.

His collegiate performance earned him the 2018 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year Award.

Austin Seibert showed up at Browns training camp in 2019 with the express purpose of earning the starting placekicking duties.

Browns PK Greg Joseph, who is two years older than Seibert, had the job for the 2018 season.

Seibert beat out Joseph for the position at training camp last year with razor-sharp accuracy and consistency and ultimately earned a spot on the Pro Football Writer’s Association All-Rookie Team.

Right. Down. The. Middle.#CLEvsTB pic.twitter.com/7KTRxJGL04

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 23, 2019

 

Seibert is responsible for 105 of the team’s points last season.

He converted 25 of 29 field-goal attempts and 30 extra points.

 

 

Punter – Jamie Gillan

 

Similar to Seibert in age and path to the starting role on the team is the Browns punter Jamie Gillan.

Britton Colquitt was the veteran punter who had been in Cleveland for the 2016-2018 seasons.

The assumption was that he would continue as the starter in 2019 until the Browns undrafted free agent Jamie Gillan showed up at training camp.

Named the “Scottish Hammer” by his high school football coach for his accent and his leg strength, Gillan played rugby in Scotland before his family moved to the US (Lexington Park, Maryland).

When the punter at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff decommitted 3 weeks before camp, the school extended a Facebook invitation for potential punters.

Gillan’s friend sent the school his film, and the school immediately contacted Gillan to offer him the job.

His leg strength is legendary.

He kicked an 80 yard punt as a high schooler.

As the Browns rookie punter, he kicked 63 punts for a total of 2,913 yards.

Gillan’s performance also  earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writer’s Association All-Rookie Team.

He is not only talented, but he is also a media darling.

 

 

Long snapper – Charley Hughlett

 

Charley Hughlett is in the midst of a successful second stint in Cleveland.

And his story is certainly one of perseverance.

After being an UDFA in 2012, he bounced around with several teams until signing with the Browns practice squad on September 30, 2014 only to be released 1 week later.

Between teams and contracts (he lost count on how many he signed), there was a 10 month period where no teams called.

He got a job as a personal trainer in Tampa which allowed him to keep his body football ready if he got another chance in the NFL.

On December 24, 2014, Hughlett was signed to the Browns active roster from the Chiefs practice squad and has never looked back.

In fact, he signed a 6-year contract extension in 2017.

Hughlett was one of the team captains during the 2019 season.

He considered it a huge honor given his long road to a starting job.

And let’s face it, fans don’t usually focus on the long snapper unless he makes a mistake that ends up on an ESPN blooper reel.

Recent News

Rashard Higgins
Rashard Higgins To Browns: “Don’t Give Up On Me”
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) returns a punt during the third quarter of the National Football League game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns on September 20, 2018, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH. Cleveland defeated New York 21-17.
WR Jarvis Landry Raises Questions With Cryptic Post
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Josh Gordon (10) during the NFL game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams on December 08, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.
Josh Gordon Wants To Reunite With Johnny Manziel In FCF League

Filed Under: Daily NewsTagged With: Cleveland Browns

About Wendi Oliveros

Wendi Oliveros, a Pennsylvania native, is a freelance writer and avid sports fan. She realized at a young age that she was a much better spectator than participant, As a result, she has spent her entire life watching sports. In addition to football, Wendi's favorite sports are professional tennis and baseball.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

Search Browns Nation

Trending News

Get All The Latest Cleveland Browns News!

Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get the all the latest news straight to your inbox!

Footer

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

 

Join Our Newsletter

Contact Us

 

Follow us

Copyright © 2021 · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - Brownsnation.com

Copyright © 2020 · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BrownsNation.com is not affiliated with the Cleveland Browns or the National Football League