Dawgs By Nature
Kicker Phil Dawson will be added to exclusive group who have contributed to the organization’s success.
The Cleveland Browns Legends grew by one on Tuesday with the addition of placekicker Phil Dawson.
The team will honor Dawson in a halftime ceremony during their Week 3 game against the New York Giants at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Originally signed as a free agent in 1999, Dawson spent 14 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Browns. Dawson converted just 66.7 percent of his field goals that first season, a mark that would probably see him released if he played now.
He settled down after that rough start and would go on to make 84 percent of his field goals with the Browns and 83.8 percent for his career, which included four years with the San Francisco 49ers and two years with the Arizona Cardinals.
Along the way, Dawson became a fan favorite as he was often one of the few bright spots during numerous lost seasons. And even though his career started slowly, Dawson said he would dream about seeing his name included among the franchise’s best players (quote via clevelandbrowns.com):
“I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t ever dream about it. You see these things through the years, and you get to know some of these former players, and you look up to them, and you start dreaming like, man, I want to be one of those guys someday. And that certainly was me. And it’s not about me. I want to represent the Browns and to have a chance to come back home and be recognized like this is about as humbling recognition as I’ve ever received, and it’s all because of the way I love Cleveland and I love the Browns organization. So, it’s as impactful of recognition as I’ve ever received and it just kind of blows me away, to be honest.”
Dawson signed a one-day contract in 2019 to retire with the Browns. He is second on the franchise list with 1,271 points, third in games played with 215, and second in most field goals in a season with 30. He holds franchise records for:
All told, Dawson played in 305 career regular-season games and currently ranks seventh in games played, eighth in field goals made (441), 11th in points scored (1,847), and 16th in field goal percentage (83.8).
