Don Cockroft

Who is Don Cockroft?

Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He has the third most career points for a Brown behind fellow kickers Phil Dawson and Lou Groza.

Cockroft served as the Browns' primary punter and placekicker for the first nine seasons of his career. In 1977 he dropped punting from his duties and became solely a placekicker. He and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker/punter Dave Green were two of the last NFL players to lead their teams in both punting and kicking in the same season.

Later NFL players to have this dual distinction were Steve Little of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and Frank Corral for the Los Angeles Rams in 1980 and 1981.