CLEVELAND — The first year of Browns kicker Cade York's NFL career was a roller coaster. The highs were high, and the lows were low. But through it all, York has grounded himself with a moment of clarity he experienced last season.
"It is one of the more surreal things I've been through in my life."
Week one of the 2022 season, York, the Browns fourth-round draft pick, made his NFL debut. It was a big game for Cleveland as they went head to head against their recently departed quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was making his debut with the Carolina Panthers.
With the storylines swirling for the season opener, fans were glued to the game. So the pressure was on when Mayfield led the Panthers down the field late in the fourth quarter to give Carolina a one-point lead. The Browns had just over a minute to answer back, and after getting York to range for a 58-yard field goal.
That's a big ask for most kickers, let alone a rookie playing in his first NFL game.
But in a single moment, York became a Cleveland hero.
"I mean, it was awesome. It is one of the more surreal things I've been through in my life." York said. "All of a sudden you look up, and it's going through, and then all of a sudden it just flips to just goosebumps, and you just have this giant flow of energy, and you just want to freak out."
York watched his kick go through the goalposts to give the Browns a win—their first season opener win in 18 years. The even-keeled kicker doesn't usually let himself get too high—but he certainly took in the moment that day.
"I've never been big on celebrating field goals, but on those, it's just in that kind of moment, something takes over and you just—it's a pretty cool feeling," York said.
"A tough moment for me."
Just a few weeks after York's euphoric moment in Carolina, the kicker went from being a hailed hero to coming back down to earth and showing that he was, in fact, human.
Week five of the 2022 season saw the Browns in a tight matchup at home with the Los Angeles Chargers. York had missed a 45-yards attempt earlier in the game, and at the end of the game with a chance to win it, York missed a 54-yard attempt.
York had never missed two field goals in the same game. He had never missed a game-winner.
"That was a tough moment for me," York said. "It stunk in the moment for me to have the feeling of bouncing back and being able to go out there and be confident, going to make that game-winner, and for it to just miss, that's what really killed me because I felt like I handled the moment well, and then again, it's for the team to win a game."
York had missed two extra point attempts leading into that game but not a field goal. The peak of Carolina may have echoed in his head. The success at LSU that had made him such a standout and a rare fourth-round pick as a kicker hung over him.
"I think so much I was worried about impressing people like I impressed people in college...I was too worried about that," York said. "That's the first time I've ever missed a game-winner or something like that, so that one was a gut punch, and it was hard to bounce back from that."
"Something to hold onto."
York is a confident player. His coaches rave about it all the time. That has never been an issue. But he did start to wonder what was happening. The roller coaster was in a valley, and he wanted to get back to a peak.
The struggles weighed heavily on York. They began to test his faith—faith that York centers his life around.
That test came with an answer one day as York was driving in his car.
"I remember asking God — I'd had a bad day at practice that Friday — I was basically like, 'Why, why can't I figure this out? I'm good at what I do. Why can't I figure this out?'" York recalled. "I was mad about the last week. I was mad about having some struggles and stuff like that."
York keeps a journal where he logs his kicks, taking notes on when he puts the ball through the uprights—and when he doesn't. In that journal, he also works in notes with Bible writings and verses.
"When I look at kicking, I also see verses when I look at it, so it kind of brings them together," York said.
As York dwelled on those questions, he received an answer that changed things.
"I remember I parked my car, went to grab my stuff, opened the back door, and my journal fell out, and a page flew out of it—and it was something I had written at a [Fellowship of Christian Athletes] sermon probably about two years before that while I was at LSU—in bold letters on it said, 'Forget the past.'"
"Forget the past."
Those words stared up at York from the page. They meant something to him.
"I had this crazy moment of just chills...just like super cool. It was the first time I really felt like that's a physical thing I can grasp," he said.
York took those words and carried them with him. They helped him as he continued to navigate his rookie season. They became a guide of sorts.
"Next week, we had the Patriots game, and I felt calm going in. No, we didn't win that game, but I bounced back and went 3-for-3 and had a decent game, and it was just a cool moment for me at least to bounce back from that," York said. "And I know it went up and down some other times throughout the season, but it was at least something to hold onto."
York remembered those words against the New York Jets in the Browns' Hall of Fame game this preseason. He missed a field goal, but if he has his way, he won't let that set the tone as his second regular season approaches. He has forgotten the past. He's on to his next outing.
"The only kicker for the Cleveland Browns now is me."
As York gears up for his second year, he's paving a way for himself. Sure, he's had plenty of guidance, with an expectation for Cleveland kickers to live up to a past legend in Phil Dawson.
While York has spoken to Dawson, and he's gotten plenty of advice on navigating the winds of Lake Erie and Dawson's approach to game days during his playing years—he's also been focusing on being himself on the field.
"I think it's important to one, give respect to him because he was great at what he did, but also be myself and be in my own shoes, and the only kicker for the Cleveland Browns now is me," York said.
Fitting to the words that spoke to him from his journal—forget the past—York tries not to see himself as filling Dawson's shoes. He respects the past, but he isn't letting it define him. He wants to be the best kicker he can be, and rather than becoming the next Phil Dawson, simply wants to be the first Cade York.
"I'm playing for an audience of one."
In York's sophomore season, he's taking all of the lessons from last year, all of the highs and lows, and looking to build off them.
While he's not always perfect—he's human, after all—York can continue being a confident kicker who impresses. That's what he's aiming to do. For him, this season is about showing off what he can do.
Not to his teammates and coaches, despite being dedicated to them.
Not to the fans, despite wanting to give them wins.
But to himself, because that's where the work begins, and that's where improvement thrives.
"I'm not always perfect, but I hit the ball well, and that's why I'm trying to focus so much on the process," York said. "I expect myself to be better, and I know the fans want probably better too, but to be honest, even though I love the fans, I'm not worried about the fans. I'm playing for an audience of one. I just want to be good at what to do and be a light for other people, and that's all I'm worrying about."
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