BEREA — It hasn’t necessarily happened often for Dustin Hopkins . It’s happened enough for the Browns kicker that he has a story to tell.
“If I see somebody in the grocery store, a rare occasion that they recognize me, they’d be like, ‘Are you ready for the game Sunday?'” Hopkins said Friday. “And it’s like on a Wednesday and it always throws them off when I’ll be like, ‘Nope.’ And they’ll pause and I’ll be like, ‘But I will be Sunday.'”
Hopkins’ anecdote was in response to a question about his anticipation growing for the start of the season. The Browns will open against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Texas native has a method to what could be perceived by the uninitiated as madness. It’s all about zeroing in on the target.
“That’s going to sound funny, (but) I haven’t even put much thought to it,” Hopkins said. “My view is I don’t like to get too excited too soon or build something up to make it more than it has to be. Ultimately, we’re still playing a game and I have fun playing it. … And a lot of times, for example, it’s like I don’t want to spend any extra emotional energy or anything, ready too soon.