Dawkins’ fans better have hankies ready
PHILADELPHIA » It’s not going to be easy watching Brian Dawkins enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday.
Which is fitting because contrary to popular belief, very little came easy for Dawkins, who played 16 memorable seasons — including 13 with the Eagles (19962009) — to earn his gold jacket.
Dawkins is going to get emotional during his acceptance speech. And when that happens, let’s be honest, the people who know and respect him are going to get uncomfortable. We’re going to choke up, we’re going to tear up or if we’re lucky, we’ll do both and get it over with. Dawkins is one of us, one of the hardworking souls who take everything life throws at them, pick each other up and thank our stars when we make it to Sunday.
It’s not going to be easy when presenter Troy Vincent, another Eagle, gives Dawkins a hug and a sea of Eagles fans begin shouting “Dawk, Dawk, Dawk, Dawk!”
Not for us and certainly not for the inductee.
Dawkins occupied two stalls in the locker room at the NovaCare Complex. One had the usual football gear, helmet, pads and so forth.
and Wolverine figurines, his alter ego, his character on the field. Some will occupy his locker at the Hall of Fame. We’re going to get both of those Dawkins’ Saturday.
Dawkins sure could make football look easy. He’s part of the elite group of defenders with at least 35 career interceptions (he had 37) and 25 sacks (26).
There were 36 forced fumbles, including my favorite, the strip sack of Ben Roethlisberger at the Linc in 2008. There was talk before the Steelers game that the 35-year-old Dawkins was finished. It might be time to move on. Dawkins heard it, too. He was nowhere to be found most of the week.
The Steelers were really good. They would defeat the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl that season. They trailed the Eagles, 12-6, when Dawkins leaped over 6-3, 315-pound Steelers guard Kendall Simmons — no, skied over him — and on top on Big Ben and his throwing arm, forcing a fumble recovered by the Eagles. It was one of eight sacks of Roethlisberger in a 15-6 victory for the Birds.
No Eagles player hit harder consistently than Dawkins during his tour with the club, and there was no shortage of guys who brought it, including Jeremiah Trotter and Tim Hauck, the latter of whom made Michael Irvin retire.
No Eagles player was more focused in his time than Dawkins, who watched so much film of opponents and his own play he practically had to be kicked out of the NovaCare Complex nightly.
And no player was more respectful of visitors in the locker room during all of his years of training at the NovaCare Complex.
Dawkins didn’t big-time the media. The three-piece suits from ESPN got the same personalized smile and hello as the reporter from the weekly whose socks didn’t match and could have used a little more length on his pants. Male, female, Dawkins was a gentleman. He made you feel good about yourself. In retrospect, that may have helped him get out of his own head during those dark years when alcohol and depression had him down.
What also set Dawkins apart from other Eagles through the years was how great he was about making time for chit chat that cropped up after his weekly new conferences, which were lengthy and educational. Though the intense game preparation kept him from spending a lot of hours in the locker room, when available, he’d give you an audience.
And if Dawkins knew you long enough, knew you well enough, he’d tell you what he’d nicknamed you. Mine was “Whisper.” Transcribing some of my interviews, I get it. It took forever to realize it but Dawkins was careful to earn the right to share that information with you. You’ll have to show me what the 44-year-old man hasn’t earned.
Dawkins is as much a part of us as we are of him. When he goes into the Hall of Fame, he’ll take a piece of everyone he reached with him. That’s not going to be easy.
Might as well kick back and when Dawkins hoists that bust of him, tearyeyed, feel the emotion with everything you’ve got. He’s earned it. You’ve earned it.