Phil Dawson Named A Browns Legends Inductee For 2024 Class

The former Browns kicker spent 14 seasons with the franchise.

Oct 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Former Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson riles up the crowd before the game between the Browns and the San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

His jersey still makes plenty of appearances around Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sundays during football season.

Former Browns kicker Phil Dawson remains a bright spot of a mostly forgettable era of Cleveland Browns football that started when the team returned to town in 1999. Now he'll be enshrined among other Browns greats forever.

On Tuesday the franchise announced that Dawson was named to the Browns Legends Class of 2024. Dawson will be honored during halftime of the Browns Week 3 home matchup with the New York Giants on Sunday, Sept. 22.

"I'd be lying if I told you I didn't ever dream about it," Dawson said via a release from the team. "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."

When Dawson signed with the Browns as a free agent in March of 1999 nobody could have imagined the lengthy, and memorable career he'd go on to have for the franchise. He'd spend the next 14 seasons in Cleveland, appearing in 215 games, racking up 305 made field goals, including 24-of-34 from 50-plus yards and an overall field goal percentage of 84%.

All the while, Dawson found himself ascending the franchise record books as he currently sits second in all-time scoring for the Browns with 1,271 points. This past season saw current Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins pass him for second all-time on the single season scoring list, as Hopkins reached 123 points, three more than Hopkins 2007 campaign. Dawson also has the fifth highest single-season scoring performance in the team's history.

Some of Dawson's other records include most field goals in a single game with a mark of six against the San Diego Padres on Nov. 5, 2006, most consecutive field goals made with 29 and most consecutive games with a field goal at 23 games.

Dawson's impact went well beyond the field though and into the Cleveland community where he worked with the Adoption Network to invite families who recently adopted children to attend Browns home games from 2008-12.

Other honors include being named the 2012 Browns Player of the Year by the local PFWA chapter, being named the 2007 Dino Lucarelli "Good Guy" Award honoree by the PFWA, earning the 2006 Ed Block Courage Award as chosen by his teammates and also taking home the Doug Dieken Humanitarian Award for his charitable and community efforts in 2006.

"I was very fortunate that I had a long run in one place," Dawson continued via the release. "A lot of guys in the league these days don't have that. So, because of my 14 years there, I was really able to build relationships and develop a love for the city of Cleveland. It became a home for my family."

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