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Browns’ kicker Dawson is set to move on
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo
Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson leaves the field after a preseason NFL football game against the the St. Louis Rams Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, in Cleveland.
Associated Press
BEREA
Like a wayward field-goal attempt sailing wide of the uprights, Phil Dawson’s steady career is about to veer.
Cleveland’s only expansion era kicker, Dawson has survived constant change and upheaval since signing as a free agent with the Browns in 1999. But the end is near, and he’s preparing for what will likely be his final game in brown and orange.
On Sunday, Dawson’s days with the Browns will come full circle when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers, their bitter rival who welcomed them back to the NFL with a 43-0 drubbing nearly 12 years ago.
Head down, eyes focused ahead, Dawson is lining up for his last kicks in Cleveland.
“I have a job to do,” he said Wednesday, doing all he could to downplay his apparent finale. “I signed my name on the dotted line and until that’s no longer the case I’m going to continue doing my job.”
Dawson’s ready to move on.
The 35-year-old, who earlier this season passed Hall of Famer Lou Groza as Cleveland’s all-time leader in field goals, will become a free agent once this season’s over. However, before that, he’ll play in his 183rd game for the Browns, who have had just two winning seasons since ’99.
Despite playing in Cleveland, where the footing on the field can be as unpredictable as the gusts coming off Lake Erie, Dawson is the ninth-most accurate kicker in history. He’s made 83.1 percent (251 of 302) of his tries, and he been at his best when the conditions have been their worst.
Beyond his 14 winning kicks, Dawson’s greatest achievement may be that he has survived Cleveland’s continual chaos.
“Hopefully, it just says that I’ve done my job well,” he said. “I set out a long time ago to work hard and execute when my number was called.”