CLEVELAND (WJW) – Before the Cleveland Browns’ official 53-man roster came out, there was no question about whether one rookie would be on the list.
Cade York is the new Browns placekicker. He was drafted by the team in the 2022 NFL Draft as the 124th pick overall.
While he might have stood out during the preseason, York really showed what he could do in warmups, when he hit a 70-yard field goal.
But the 21-year-old who is in his first year in the NFL says that beautiful kick people fawned over shouldn’t get the praise.
“It does not really matter in pregame. I was just warming up.”
In the postgame interview after the Aug. 27th preseason loss to the Chicago Bears, he points out that golden leg of his still needs a lot of work.
“There have been a couple that I would like back,” York said about kicking field goals.
York grew up in Texas and became one of the top kicking prospects in the nation. He ultimately committed to playing at LSU, where he set an Under Armour All-America Game record for the longest field goal. He hit a 59-yard field goal then – similar to the one he missed Saturday.
“I missed a 58-yard field goal today. I did not hit the best ball then, but I think they are just testing me a bit in the preseason. When the game is on the line and we need something, we can push it back a little bit.”
York mentioned missing that 58-yard field goal at least twice after the game.
“Just hanging the ball up. Still need to work on it some more. I need to be able to manage it through the game and hit different balls. It is definitely my main focus to work on right now. I just need to do it a little bit better.”
Don’t forget last year York was a sophomore in college. That means his career stats for his professional career will start adding up come Game 1 on September 11th when the Browns head to Carolina to face Baker Mayfield and the Panthers.
While he says it hasn’t felt much “different from college,” the crowds, he says are something that takes getting used to…even though SEC fans can certainly pack a stadium.
“I love the fans, but that can be gone just as quick if I have a bad day,” he said in an interview during training camp.
York’s season – and career – looks like one to watch. A good kick can make all the difference when it comes to points on the board and winning games.
He’s keeping his cool about the pressure and says he really hasn’t “gotten nervous” much in the past. He may be 21, but he certainly doesn’t sound like a kid who has his whole career ahead of him. He’s keeping it simple.
“Just going out there and kicking the ball.”
York is one highlight we’ll be watching for this season.
