Brian Dawkins: Hall of Famer helps others in retirement
PHILADELPHIA (BVM) – During his 16-year NFL career, Brian Dawkins seemed to be a man possessed, entering the arena with a relentless energy that became iconic both in Philadelphia and Denver. That same energy is what Dawkins has used to inspire the next generation, focusing that pent-up enthusiasm to help aid people in need from those struggling with mental health to children and families in need. Following a Hall of Fame football career, Dawkins is on the path to a Hall of Fame retirement given his commitment to others.
Early life and high school football
Dawkins was born on Oct. 13, 1973 in Jacksonville, Florida. There, Dawkins was raised through athletics, playing basketball as well as Pop Warner football Forest View Pop Warner. Though he initially had dreams of playing in the NBA, Dawkins’ skills on the gridiron began to outweigh his play on the hardwood.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive back was named all-city, all-conference, all-district and 4A all-state as a senior after he helped his Raines High School Tigers team to 30 consecutive regular season wins. This allowed Dawkins to become the second in his family to play football at the Division I level as his older brother played for the University of Louisville.
Clemson Tigers
Though considered undersized for the safety position, Dawkins came to the Clemson program with something to prove. After not seeing the field as a true freshman, Dawkins saw consistent time as a sophomore and junior, playing in all 33 of the team’s games and earning back-to-back second–team All-Atlantic Coastal Conference honors after registering three interceptions in his second year and two in his third.
During his senior year is when Dawkins broke out. The safety registered 89 tackles, nine pass breakups and led the ACC with six interceptions, helping the Tigers finish ranked No. 10 in the nation in scoring defense and No. 16 in the country in passing defense. Dawkins was named first–team All-ACC and second–team All-America by the Sporting Times and the Associated Press for his efforts.
He finished his career with 251 total tackles, 34 passes defended, 23 pass breakups, 11 interceptions, nine tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, three blocked kicks and two sacks in 46 games, 35 of which he started. Dawkins was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually by the program.
NFL career
After playing in the Senior Bowl, Dawkins was selected in the second round with the No. 61 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1996 NFL Draft. This began a 13-year run where the safety terrorized opposing receivers for the City of Brotherly Love.
Dawkins played in 183 games with 182 starts for the Eagles beginning his rookie season when 13 of 14 games he played in. During that time, Dawkins registered 914 tackles, 132 pass deflections, 45 for loss, 34 interceptions, 32 forced fumbles, 21 sacks and 16 fumble recoveries. Over these 13 seasons, Dawkins was selected to seven Pro Bowls, named first-team All-Pro four times and finished No. 3 in the AP Defensive Player of the Year award in 2002. That same season he also became the first player in NFL history to record a sack, an interception, forced fumble and touchdown reception in a single game when he did so against the Houston Texans.
During his time in Philadelphia, the Eagles made eight playoff appearances, went to five NFC championship games (four of them in a row from 2001-04) and played in Super Bowl XXXIX against the New England Patriots in 2005. Dawkins finished his Eagles tenure tied for the most career interceptions with 34.
In the 2009 offseason, the 36-year-old Dawkins signed a five-year contract with the Denver Broncos. In three seasons in Denver, “Weapon X” proved he was still a more than capable defender playing in 41 games with 39 starts and registering 233 tackles, 21 pass deflections, five sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2009 and his final NFL season in 2011 and was a second–team All-Pro member in his first season with the Broncos in 2009.
Retirement and Hall of Fame
In April 2012, Dawkins retired from the NFL the same way he entered it–as a Philadelphia Eagle. That same month, the team announced it would retire his No. 20 jersey. Dawkins finished his career with 1,131 tackles (895 solo), 37 interceptions which he returned for 513 yards and two touchdowns, 36 forced fumbles, 26 sacks and 19 fumble recoveries. “The Wolverine” was the first player in NFL history to record at least 30 interceptions and 30 forced fumbles in a career and is the only player in NFL history to have over 25 sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions in a career.
Dawkins was named to nine Pro Bowls, five All-Pro teams, the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 2000s, the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team and the Exclusive NFL Defensive Club (players with at least 35 career interceptions and 20 career sacks). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2018. He is still the only player in the Hall of Fame to have graduated from Clemson.
From 2016-2018, Dawkins spent two seasons working in the Philadelphia Eagles front office as a football operations executive, helping his former team win the first Super Bowl in franchise history during the 2017-18 season.
In 2016, Dawkins’ son, Brian Dawkins Jr., committed to his dad’s alma mater Clemson. In four seasons with the Tigers, Dawkins Jr. played in 11 games registering one tackle.
Clemson Vs Wake
Looking to give back even more to the community, Dawkins created the Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation to help younger generations through difficult circumstances. The foundation has two programs–the values program and the single parent program. The programs look to help disadvantaged young people, families and communities in Clemson, Jacksonville and Philadelphia by teaching kids the values and knowledge Dawkins gained over his lifetime and grants to help parents support their children’s pursuits through additional resources.
In addition to his own charity work, Dawkins has also been among the many former players to speak out about the importance of mental health in the sport of football. Dawkins has discussed his own struggles with mental health in a number of different appearances, but most notably in his book, “Blessed by the Best: My road to Canton and Beyond” which came out in August of last year.
With his foundation still in full swing and his book continuing to sell, “Weapon X” continues to impact lives around the world. Given his passion and leadership, Dawkins is set to continue his inspiring journey for years to come.
