P Dustin Colquitt (12.10.21)

On if he had met anyone with the Browns before this morning:

“I had run into a lot of guys. I knew a handful of guys who came over from Kansas City. It was good to see (TE Ross) Travis and (RB) Kareem (Hunt) again obviously. I told a lot of the guys in the room today, before he started running the ball, he was a personal protector, which is what they call a fullback here. He would go down and cut guys in half – impressive. Through the preseason and then you realize, ‘Oh, we do not get to use him during the regular season? (laughter)’ He would go down and cover balls like you would not see. It was very impressive. I remember (Ravens LB) Justin Houston doing that early in his career. He would be like, ‘Hey, let me in on a punt.’ He would go down and just absolutely annihilate somebody and the ball would come out. He would be like, ‘See, I can play teams (laughter).’ It was good to see some people again. Obviously, I worked with (special teams coordinator) Mike Priefer in 2006-2008 in KC so it was good to see him. I got to talk to Ms. Debbie, his wife, on the phone this morning, too. This is KC – I am used to this weather, just not with a lake behind it.

On if the toughest adjustment is working with a new LS:

“Yeah, and just getting used to what they call stuff. Here it is a ‘mayday field goal,’ and it would be a ‘hurricane’ somewhere else. Everybody has different lingo. You know that through O and D. Really with (LS) Charley (Hughlett), you do not have to do much. He is one of the best in the league and has done it really well for a long time. He is a no-look snapper so that is a little bit different. You usually see facemask and then ball snap. This is like nothing, and the ball is just coming. That and just getting used to exactly what (K) Chase (McLaughlin) wants. I have to be there for him. I feel like if we do my job right, then he should have a chance at hitting every field goal that he attempts. That is what I want him to feel. Just getting used to the guys as fast as you can and being ready for a really good Baltimore team coming in here. They are firing on all cylinders, and historically, they have been good. We just have to keeping pounding. I told the guys, ‘Hey, let’s throw up another banner.’ They did it last year, and it was fun to watch them do really well. I am excited to be a part of that.”

On his experience transitioning from being on the reserve/COVID-19 list with Atlanta before being released and then now joining the Browns due to P Jamie Gillan being placed on the list:

“It is different. It is interesting because I was kicking really well in Atlanta, and you wind up on a COVID list and then you are not with a team and you are complaining. You are like, ‘Wait, it is a COVID thing!’ Then it happens again, and you are like, ‘Oh, now I am the benefactor! (laughter)’ I wish him well. Jamie is fun to watch. I love watching other lefties. There are not a whole lot of us so it is fun watching him. He is young, powerful. He has done a good job here. The COVID situation, we all have to adjust. I think everybody has been really good at adjusting and kind of flying with the punches because we have to. The NFL and the NFLPA have done a remarkable job of going above and beyond from a cost standpoint. The 30,000 foot view is that this is the United States of America, and they like to be entertained so the NFL and all of these major sports have to go on so we have to pull through, even with viruses and stuff like that seem to halt a lot of other things. It was cool to see the sports teams come through and at least give people something to really unite us again because sports is the ultimate uniter.”

On if he is under the impression that he will be with the Browns for the remainder of the season, for a week or a different timeframe:

“Be ready for Sunday. It is just one of those things where that is everybody in this building really. I woke up this morning, prayed and was thankful to have another opportunity to come out here punt, which my dad did and kind of showed me and my brother (former Browns and free agent P Britton Colquitt) how to do it. Obviously, Britton played here for a few years so I am going to be talking to him and I texted with (Browns Legend K) Phil Dawson yesterday. I will be talking to him for sure. He did it here for a long time – I think 14 years here. I got to be over in Hawaii with him in 2013 and hold for him and pick his brain. It is just another opportunity to be ready for this Sunday and focus one game at a time and one punt at a time.”