(This story was updated to add new information.)
Legendary kicker Phil Dawson experienced the life of a Browns fan last season when he served as a Dawg Pound Captain and smashed a San Francisco 49ers-themed guitar before Cleveland prevailed 19-17 on Oct. 15.
"I had never been to a Browns game without playing in one, so it really for the first time gave me a taste of what it's like," Dawson said Thursday on Zoom. "I got to pull up to the stadium when the Muni Lot was going and the fans were everywhere. Y'all know me. When I was playing, I was there at 8 a.m. I was the only human on the field in an empty stadium.
"Getting to see all that, obviously, against the 49ers, that was a team I played for as well, so that kind of added a cool layer. I knew players and personnel on both sides, and just getting a chance to hear that roar one more time was really cool. I missed that roar."
Dawson will hear the roar on the lakefront again when he's inducted into the Browns Legends during a pregame ceremony before Sunday's game against the New York Giants .
"Anytime you get a recognition like this, it's obviously special, but what takes it to a whole new level for me on this one is my love for Cleveland and the Browns," Dawson said. "I was fortunate that I got to stay 14 years in one place, and not a lot of players in this league get that opportunity.
"The history, the relationships that I was able to form, Cleveland was my family's home, and so it just adds this extra layer to it. To have the opportunity to be recognized for my years there, I'm really struggling to find the right words to express what it means to me and my family, but we are just beyond humbled."
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Dawson kicked for the Browns from their 1999 expansion season through 2012. In March 2013, the franchise let Dawson walk in free agency despite him coming off the only Pro Bowl selection of his career. He then spent another four seasons (2013-16) with the 49ers and two (2017-18) with the Arizona Cardinals.
Dawson holds Browns records for highest career field-goal percentage (84) and field goals made (305). He ranks second in franchise history with 1,271 points, trailing only Hall of Fame tackle and kicker Lou Groza (1,349 points). Dawson also played in 215 games, third most in Browns history.
"Leaving [Cleveland] when I did was not what I wanted," Dawson said. "Just unfortunately, that's how it went, and being so close to [Groza's franchise scoring] record, that was a hard pill to swallow. I felt like I still had a lot of good football left in me, and hopefully I proved that in the six years I played after I left.
"But that's how this thing goes. I'm just grateful I got 14 [seasons] in Cleveland. So I think now that I'm kind of out of the competitive deal, I think it's fitting that Lou Groza remains the all-time leading scorer because he is the Cleveland Browns."
A high school football coach in Austin, Texas, Dawson became a face of the expansion era. He wasn't just a great kicker who thrived in Cleveland's harsh weather. He was also a respected leader.
Former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas joined Dawson's Zoom call with media to congratulate him and share a story about Dawson giving the Browns a rallying cry for a season early in Thomas' Hall of Fame career .
Thomas explained Dawson told the team about soldiers in the Civil War carrying flags to provide an inspirational boost during battle. Dawson asked the Browns who would be willing to carry the proverbial flag for them. Thomas related Dawson's motivational speech to the Munich Ravens he recently coached in Germany.
"I'm excited about you and your family to be able to be in Cleveland this weekend and rightfully join the club with the greatest Browns of all time," Thomas told Dawson.
Dawson, 49, said among his favorite Browns memories is returning to team headquarters in 2019 to retire as a member of the organization. He said he still watches every Browns game and is elated about Dustin Hopkins' success, noting Cleveland has a fellow Texas native excelling as its kicker.
"I didn't get to say goodbye at the end of the 2012 season," Dawson said. "The NFL calendar [and] free agency hits, and that all happened real fast. I was a Brown, and, then all of a sudden, I was a 49er. I didn't get to say my goodbyes.
"Being able to come back in '19 and kind of have an opportunity to sum everything up and express my love for Cleveland and the Browns, I think that would probably be, if I had to have one memory that I most cherish about me, it would be the opportunity to retire as a Brown."
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The roar Dawson heard last fall confirmed Browns fans still consider him one of their own.
"I wanted to earn the trust and respect of my teammates and coaches, and then if it grew from there, that was great," Dawson said. "Obviously, anyone likes to earn trust and respect. I think I did that with the fans, and I think this honor this weekend shows I did so for the city and the organization."
The Browns remain grateful.
"I got a message from Joe Thomas this morning, and the things he said to me, I can't even believe because I was just the kicker over there doing my thing, and here's the greatest left tackle to ever play professional football thanking me for the job I did and how I helped him," Dawson said. "That's the special sauce. When your teammates and coaches could count on you to do your job, I can't think of anything more rewarding."
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Phil Dawson cherishes place in Cleveland Browns Legends
