As Phil Dawson sat in his home office, he called Jim Donovan on the phone.
Donovan picked up after the first ring, answering with an elated greeting to Dawson. As the two exchanged fond memories of their careers with the Browns, Dawson shared a surprise with Donovan.
"I get the honor to inform you that you will be joining me in this year's class, you will officially be a Cleveland Browns Legend," Dawson said on the call to Donovan. "And I can think of no better honor than to get to make this phone call."
On the other end of the phone, Donovan shared his excitement and appreciation of the news.
"Phil, that is unbelievable," Donovan said. "That is so great. That is a great honor. What an honor to go in at all, but to go in with you, wow."
On Sunday, Sept. 22, the Browns will officially induct both Dawson and Donovan into the 2024 class of Browns Legends. They will be honored at the Giants' game for their careers with the Browns.
To Dawson, Donovan is synonymous with Browns football.
"He kept it real, but he kept a positive tone to it," Dawson said of Donovan's calls. "He just always could find that balance – authentic, real, accurate, but he was still supportive, even when there wasn't a whole lot to support. And I know the players appreciated that. I know I certainly appreciated that. He was always quick to try to provide context, rather than letting people just focus on an individual moment. He just really had a knack for seeing the big picture. It was always 'Go Browns,' yet he kept it real and accurate, so that everybody understood what was going on."
Both Dawson and Donovan came to the Browns in 1999, when Dawson signed with Cleveland and Donovan became the Voice of the Cleveland Browns.
Their individual storied careers intertwined over the years, as Donovan called all of Dawson's kicks over his 14-year career with the Browns. Donovan recently announced he was stepping away from the Browns Radio Network after 25 years to focus on his battle with cancer.
Those 14 years in Cleveland allowed Dawson to build lasting relationships, from his teammates and coaching staff to Donovan.
"To be able to go into the class with Jim, it's a guy I know," Dawson said. "It's a guy I have a relationship with. It's a guy that I look up to. And so, it just adds an extra layer to this. It would be awesome to go in with anyone, but a guy that you came in together with, a guy that you consider a friend, a guy that you appreciate, a guy you respect, a guy that you benefit from what he did. He was so supportive of me through the years and was always so kind to myself and my family. I mean, to get to go in with a friend just adds this really special layer to it and reflects what I'm most grateful for in my time in Cleveland is, and it's the relationships that I had with the people at Cleveland. And Jim is towards the top of that list."
Not only did Dawson have kicks that decorated his career, so were the calls made by Donovan of those moments.
One of those came in the blizzard game against the Bills in 2007, where Dawson made two field goals and helped lead Cleveland to an 8-0 win over Buffalo. Donovan's call, saying, "He did it again," as Dawson hit the 49-yard field goal attempt, and it clanked off the top of the crossbar and through the uprights.
It was a reference to one of Dawson's most famous kicks that occurred in 2007 against the Ravens. As Dawson kicked a 51-yard field goal attempt, the officials originally called the kick no good. However, they reconvened and overruled the call and sent the game to overtime. Then, the Browns beat the Ravens 33-30 on another field goal from Dawson.
And while those are some personal favorites from his career, there was one call that still stands out to Dawson. In the last game of the 2002 regular season, the Browns played the Falcons at home, one with playoff implications.
Late in the fourth quarter of the game, rookie RB William Green broke around the right side of a defensive tackle and tore down the sideline for a 64-yard touchdown, and the Browns stadium erupted in cheers. As Green sprinted down the field, Donovan shouted, "Run, William, run!" on the call. The touchdown sealed the game for the Browns and sent them back to the playoffs.
"It was just such simple words, but it captured this quiet desperation that Cleveland was all but like, please just get to the end zone," Dawson recalled. "This is what we've been waiting for. We're actually going to pull through and win a big game. We're back. And Jim knowing the history, knowing everything about it, he knew what to say in that moment."
As Dawson prepares to visit Huntington Bank Field on Sept. 22 and officially be inducted into the Browns Legends, he's hoping the focus is not on him, but rather Donovan.
"What I'm hoping to communicate this weekend is, this is a 'we' award," Dawson said. "It's not a me award. And I think it's incredible in light of that Jim's going to go in with me, and I sincerely hope that people will focus on Jim and celebrate what he's done for the Browns. I was just one of many players trying to do his job. There was only one Jim Donovan. So, I'm thrilled that he's going to be going in with me."
