For the past ten or so years, Cleveland Browns Stadium has been a horror for kickers.
Twelve kickers have attempted and failed to duplicate Phil Dawson’s feat of booting footballs through the uprights along the lakefront since he did so in 2012. This is due to Northeast Ohio’s harsh weather. The list is now extensive enough to justify another manikin in a store, this time named after a kicker rather than a quarterback.
All of a sudden, there’s a serious contender for the gusty winds and unpredictable weather. The guaranteed kicker is Dustin Hopkins. The selected one, if you please. It seems that No. 13 is quite fortunate.
Bubba Ventrone, the coordinator of special teams, said on Thursday, “He’s been a great player for us.” He’s made a lot of kicks, which is fortunate, and the execution has been excellent. He’s done a fantastic job for our team, in my opinion, and I can tell that he has faith in the owners, general manager, and coaching staff.”
It’s not just a bunch of kicks. A 55-yard field goal in Week 14 set a new franchise record for field goals kicked in a single season for the Browns, as they ended up winning against the Jaguars. Hopkins beat the aforementioned legend, Dawson, who made 30 field goals in 2008. Hopkins made 31 in total. Since then, Hopkins has added two more, making a total of 33.
Hopkins also set a team record with his eighth made field goal of 50 yards or more this season with that same 55-yarder. In 2011, Dawson made seven of these kicks, the second to the last year he was in Cleveland.
With more votes for the Pro Bowl than any other AFC kicker, Hopkins has swept the league. It strengthens his argument that he is ranked first in the two previously mentioned categories (field goals made and field goals over 50 yards). With 121 points this season, he is also second in the overall point total. No, Cleveland truly does have a kicker; this is not a dream.
“He’s earned every bit of credit he deserves and I think he should really be, in my mind, get every accolade you could get,” Ventrone stated. I believe he has earned it and done an excellent job. He has therefore been fantastic for us.
Hopkins wasn’t even on the Browns’ radar four months ago. At the beginning of training camp, Cleveland had expressed unflinching faith in Cade York, a 2022 fourth-round choice. However, that confidence rapidly faded after York made just 50% of his field goals in preseason play.
With no other option, general manager Andrew Berry moved to acquire Hopkins from the Chargers in exchange for a seventh-round selection. The remainder is history, very literally, as Hopkins keeps making history despite the unpredictability of the weather.
“I think that his process throughout the week, understanding how he approaches each week, communication with me and the specialists has just been phenomenal,” Ventrone said. It’s difficult to visit the stadium on a Thursday since the offerings will vary greatly from Thursday to Sunday. The stadium undergoes constant renovations.
General manager Andrew Berry pushed to acquire Hopkins from the Chargers in exchange for a seventh-round selection because he had no other choice. The rest is history, as Hopkins continues to make history in spite of the weather’s unpredictable nature.
“I think that his process throughout the week, understanding how he approaches each week, communication with me and the specialists has just been phenomenal,” Ventrone stated. Thursdays are a tough day to visit the stadium because of how different the offerings are on Thursday compared to Sunday. The stadium is always being renovated.
With no other option, general manager Andrew Berry tried to acquire Hopkins from the Chargers for a seventh-round selection. The rest is history, as Hopkins keeps making history despite the unpredictability of the weather.
“I think that his process throughout the week, understanding how he approaches each week, communication with me and the specialists has just been phenomenal,” Ventrone said. Because the selection is different on Thursdays than it is on Sundays, Thursdays are not the best day to visit the stadium. The stadium is under constant renovation.
With Dawson in the rearview mirror, Hopkins is closing fast on another Browns legend: Jim Brown. Hopkins might be the one to break Brown’s team record of 126 points scored in a single season.
