University Southern California Trojans
McCutcheon Thrills Father, Cleveland Browns in Debut
August 11, 1999 | Football
Aug. 11, 1999
BEREA, Ohio (AP) - Most of Daylon McCutcheon's childhood memories of his father come courtesy of NFL films.
He was still learning to walk when his dad, Lawrence, was slashing through defenses as an All-Pro running back for the Los Angeles Rams in the mid-1970s.
"I've just seen his highlights," said McCutcheon, a rookie cornerback for the Cleveland Browns. "I was so young, I don't remember anything."
Lawrence McCutcheon, on the other hand, has already seen his son excel on the football field - in person.
With his father watching from the stands Monday night, McCutcheon, a third-round draft pick for Cleveland, made two interceptions in his first pro game as the Browns defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-17 at the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
"That was really special," McCutcheon said. "I'm a West Coast guy, so I know my family isn't going to be able to come out here and watch a lot of the games. So he came at the last minute and I was really excited he was there."
Lawrence McCutcheon wasn't always there for his son.
A four-time Pro Bowler with the Rams, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills, McCutcheon and his wife separated when Daylon was a toddler.
Father and son had little contact over the years and only began to patch up their relationship when the younger McCutcheon was a highly recruited star running back at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, Calif.
"We're real tight now," Daylon McCutcheon said Wednesday. "The past is the past, and that's how I looked at everything. We've gotten a lot closer, gotten to know each other and things are great."
So was McCutcheon's first game with the Browns.
With the score tied 17-all and Dallas driving for a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, McCutcheon perfectly timed his break to step in front of wideout MarTay Jenkins to pick off a pass by Cowboys quarterback Mike Quinn.
"They kept throwing underneath, and I was just like, the next time they throw underneath, I'm going to break," McCutcheon said. "And I got a really good break on the ball, the receiver stumbled and I was able to catch it."
In overtime, McCutcheon benefited from a solid pass rush, a tipped ball and a bad decision by Quinn to get his second interception. It set up the game-winning field goal as the new Browns returned from a three-year exile to win their first game back.
"He was in the right place at the right time," Browns coach Chris Palmer said.
Lucky or not, McCutcheon made two big plays, something he's been doing since he first strapped on shoulder pads.
"It was a great start for me," he said. "That's how you want to start things off, with a bang and keep it rolling. But you have to stay consistent. If you get two picks in your first game, and after that you don't make any plays, then it doesn't mean anything."
At 5-foot-8, McCutcheon's size was questioned by the rest of the league as April's draft approached. A third-team AP All-American at USC, he expected to get taken in the first round but slid all the way to the third, falling to the Browns with the 62nd pick overall.
McCutcheon knows if he was 5-foot-10 or taller, his stock would have been higher. So would his bank account.
But the Browns loved McCutcheon's athleticism, and were excited to see his name still available in the third round.
"He has done an excellent job for us," Palmer said. "He's a guy we're counting on to play inside in the nickel. Everybody goes by height, but he's a guy who all you do is put him on the field and he makes plays."
By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
