Former Browns punter still pins opponents deepSaturday, January 28, 2006 By Steve Doerschuk Repository sports writer PITTSBURGH - January has been end-over-end eventful for Browns kicker Phil Dawson.On New Year?s Day, ?Phil the Foot? won a duel with Baltimore?s Matt Stover, another kicker from Dallas Lake Highlands High School.A few days later, Dawson was in Pasadena, Calif., to see his alma mater, Texas, boot Southern Cal in a national championship game.On Sunday, Dawson watched his best friend from their days together with the Browns finally get to a Super Bowl, albeit with the Steelers.?Phil and I were on the phone right after the Denver game,? said Pittsburgh punter Chris Gardocki, who was Dawson?s field goal spotter in Cleveland from 1999-2003. ?We talk all the time. It was good to share that moment with him.?Who knew Dawson?s old pal had moments left?Former Browns Head Coach Butch Davis thought Gardocki was losing altitude in 2003 and let him escape as a free agent after the season.In his second year with the Steelers, Gardocki, who will turn 36 three days after Super Bowl XL, certainly landed on his feet. He has reached his first Super Bowl after 14 previous seasons out of the running.Playing for field position is a Steelers staple. Gardocki has the head for that, and still enough leg.During Pittsburgh?s three road postseason wins, six of his 12 punts have been downed inside the 20. In the second half of Sunday?s 34-14 win at Denver, one Gardocki boot was downed at the 3, another at the 15. Another was ruled dead at the 3 before a replay showed it was ruled a touchback because the Pittsburgh player?s foot kicked up end zone chalk.The Steelers cruised to a win.?It was really exciting,? Gardocki said. ?This is a long time coming.?How long?Gardocki was a third-round draft pick of Mike Ditka?s Bears in 1991. To put that in perspective, the Browns? first-round pick that year was the late Eric Turner. Bill Belichick was in his first year as head coach of the Browns.Gardocki stayed with Chicago for four years, punted four seasons with the Colts, then logged five with the Browns.Cleveland fans wished they saw less of Gardocki ? he punted more for the Browns than any running back has carried the ball in the expansion era ? and joked that he was the team MVP.His claim to fame is an NFL-record 1,112 punts launched without an official block. One of his 2005 attempts was deflected, but it passed the line of scrimmage and didn?t count as a block.Gardocki said he will approach his first Super Bowl as he has treated his entire career, blocking out the world, pledging allegiance to ?one punt at a time.??Obviously, I?ll try to keep everything the same,? Gardocki said. ?Obviously, it?s gonna be different. There?s no denying that. ?You try to soak it all in and enjoy it and make it as normal as you possibly can.?If Gardocki only ever makes it to one Super Bowl, he?s glad it?s happening now.?My son (Cole) is 10, which is old enough to understand what?s going on,? Gardocki said.Really? What?s going on?Gardocki smiles at the mystery of what it must be like to run onto the field in a Super Bowl.He no more knows what that?s like than his son.?We?ll find out,? he said.From HERE
