Brian Dawkins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Brian Dawkins runs on the field during a 2005 game. |
|
| Philadelphia Eagles — No. 20 | |
| Free safety | |
| Date of birth: October 13, 1973 | |
| Place of birth: Jacksonville, Florida | |
| Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | Weight: 210 lb (95 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
|---|---|
| 1996 for the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| Career history | |
| College: Clemson | |
| NFL Draft: 1996 / Round: 2 / Pick: 61 | |
Teams:
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Tackles | 842 |
| Interceptions | 33 |
| Sack | 18 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr. (born October 13, 1973 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays free safety for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Dawkins is best known[who?] as one of the league's most punishing hitters at the free safety position.
Contents |
[edit] College
A three-year starter at strong safety for Clemson University, Dawkins finished his career with 247 tackles and 11 interceptions. He was an 2nd team All-American selection as a senior when his team-high 6 INTs tied him for the conference lead. Dawkins, who was also an outstanding special team’s player, made 35 stops on those units. Dawkins was named the first-team strong safety on Clemson's all-centennial team in 1995.
[edit] NFL career
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (December 2007) |
Dawkins was drafted in the 1996 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round. In his career he has played in six Pro Bowls and was a starter for the Eagles when they went to four consecutive NFC championship games and Super Bowl XXXIX.
[edit] Memorable Plays
[edit] 2002
- Brian became the only player in history to have an interception, a quarterback sack, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown reception in one game. This unusual feat included a fake punt, when halfback Brian Mitchell shovel passed (flipped) the ball to Dawkins who dodged several Houston players as he ran 57 yards into the endzone, which technically counted as a pass.
- In the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, Dawkins landed a notoriously vicious hit on Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick just as he crossed the goal line. The direct hit to Vick's ribs was so fierce that it left him on the ground for sometime before he could walk off the field.
[edit] 2003
- In the divisional playoff against the Packers, Dawkins intercepted quarterback Brett Favre in overtime and returned the ball 35 yards to put the Eagles in position to kick the game-winning field goal and advance to their third straight NFC Championship game.
[edit] 2004
- In Week 11 Dawkins intercepted Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey in the end zone with under 2 minutes remaining. The pick preserved a 17-14 victory and improved the NFC-leading Eagles' record to 12-1.
- Another memorable play of the 2004 season was a bruising hit on Atlanta Falcons Tight End Alge Crumpler during the NFC Title Game where a head on collision between the two landed Crumpler directly on his back.
[edit] 2006
- Dawkins showed no signs of slowing down and finished the season with career highs in total tackles (98) and solo tackles (76). He also tied his career highs for interceptions (4) and had five forced fumbles, tied for second most for a single season in his career. Dawkins was rewarded with his sixth trip to the Pro Bowl and the Eagles were back on top as NFC East Champions with a 10-6 record.
- In week 15, Dawkins had two forced fumbles and an interception where he caught a pass by Eli Manning which bounced off the helmet of Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson against the New York Giants, helping the Eagles win and enter the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.
- In week 16, Dawkins intercepted Dallas quarterback Tony Romo in the end zone while covering Dallas receiver Terrell Owens. This effectively sealed the Philadelphia Eagles' ninth win of the season and secured the team's place in the playoffs.
[edit] NFL Statistics
| Year | Games | Solo Tackles | Assisted Tackles | Total Tackles | Sacks | Interceptions | Forced Fumbles | Defensive Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | 167 | 755 | 397 | 1152 | 18.0 | 33 | 32 | 4 |
[edit] Trivia
 |
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Ranks third on the Eagles' all-time list with 33 career interceptions.
- In the 2002 season, Dawkins became the first player in NFL history to record a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown reception in the same game, against the Houston Texans.[1]
- In the 2005 season, Dawkins became only the seventh NFL player with at least 15 sacks and 25 interceptions.
- Dawkins is an avid fan of Marvel Comics' Wolverine and is sometimes referred to as Wolverine or as Weapon X.
- Dawkins wears a protective eyeshield due to a laceration to his cornea as a child.
- Sports Illustrated named him as one of seventeen active players that they predicted would ultimately would be voted entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sporting News also named him one of the top 100 active NFL players.
- He produced a highlight reel style mixtape of recognizable and memorable plays, as well as famous speeches or quotes. The song used was Requiem for a Tower by Corner Stone Cues.
[edit] External links
- Brian Dawkins at NFL.com.
- Brian Dawkins at the Philadelphia Eagles Official Web Site.
- Brian Dawkins at Yahoo! Sports.
- Brian Dawkins at KFFL.
- Brian Dawkins at Sportsline.
