Dawkins

[ice grillin you]

andre waters died and brian dawkins came back to life

[General_Failure]

I don't see why yesterday's game is proof that Dawkins hasn't lost a step.

The fact remains that the guy has a killer instinct and is capable of making big plays.  I'm sure that wouldn't change if he's in the NFL past age 40.  However, he used to also have the speed and quickness of a cornerback to go along with it.  It's really no big deal as long as he's used properly, and he's still the MVP of this defense 9 games out of 10.

There was a time when someone would break a big play against the Eagles, you could see them all alone sprinting down the field, and you would know exactly who was going to take them down before they reached the endzone.

[Seabiscuit36]

Reading GF's quote i think of Dawk running down LT and punching the ball out in 2001?

[General_Failure]

Sounds like something he used to do, yes.

[SD_Eagle5]

Since Giants fans love to post that pic of Shockey grabbing a TD over Dawkins, here's one for them:

[Feva]

Here's my favorite Shockey pic:

[shorebird]

I loved that hit. Give Shockey a little credit though, he jumped right up after getting jacked up!!

Dawk is the best player on this D right now. If anyone looks old and like he has lost a step, it's Trotter.

[PhillyGirl]

Dawk of the town
With no A.I., Dawkins becomes longest-tenured athlete in city
By DANA PENNETT O'NEIL
oneild@phillynews.com

PRESUMABLY SOMETIME soon the Denver airport will reopen and Allen Iverson will officially leave Philadelphia. He will follow the same flight pattern - due west - that took Mike Lieberthal to Los Angeles last month and become another onetime Philly hero plying his trade in another city.

Brian Dawkins, in the meantime, will hop in his car today and make the same commute he has been making for 11 years. He will drive across the bridge from his New Jersey home for another day of work in South Philadelphia.

In a city that embraces its reputation as a place that chews up its stars and spits them out, Dawkins is, with Iverson's trade, the longest-tenured athlete in the city. He is gliding through his 11th season with a contract that extends another two.

Far from Teflon, he has endured his share of the faithful's wrath, written off as washed-up and a step slow in the last two seasons.

That Dawkins never took the bait explains perhaps more than anything why the Eagles' safety is still here.

He gets it. The kid from Jacksonville, Fla., by way of Clemson might be more Philly than Rocky. He understands what makes the city tick and more, respects what it takes to survive here.

"Everybody can't play in Philadelphia and I think Allen kind of mentioned that, too," Dawkins said. "You have to have tough skin. You have to be able to deal with criticism. You have to be able to ignore and push through, ignore the booing because you're going to get booed, I don't care who you are.

"Coming in here, people tell you what to expect but you never can prepare yourself for what you're going to deal with once things go bad or you start making bad plays. The criticism you're going to get, not just from the media, but from fans, people in the grocery stores, they're not going to hold back their opinions. Those are things you have to deal with as a pro athlete in Philadelphia. Some people understand it and some people don't. I understand it."

Iverson understood it to a degree, too, but unlike him, Dawkins managed to simultaneously play in the limelight without inviting the glare. He redirected his life not long after joining the Eagles, committing himself to living a Christian life and enveloping himself in the safe cocoon of his family.

That, coupled with his intentional avoidance of all things sports after a loss (no television, radio, magazine, newspapers), has helped Dawkins develop that rhinoceros skin.

Dawkins also knows that he has gotten off a lot easier than Iverson. He may be a leader in his franchise, but he has never had to carry the burden of being the face of the franchise. That job goes to Donovan McNabb.

"Especially Allen and Donovan, they're on a different level," Dawkins said. "I'm not on that level as far as the scrutiny they go through but I can definitely understand how you can get frustrated and slip up sometimes, say things out of frustration that you don't want to say."

If ever Dawkins were going to crack it likely would have been in the last two seasons. Outsiders began to question whether the 33-year-old, though playing with the same passion, was playing with the same abilities.

Instead of defending himself with words or bristling, Dawkins simply kept playing and last week was named to an All-Pro for the sixth time, putting him among the most elite of Eagles' company, alongside Chuck Bednarik (, Reggie White (7) and Pete Pihos (6) as the only Eagles named to six Pro Bowls.

Asked to reflect about Dawkins' legacy, Andy Reid, a man who will never be accused of being effusive with his praise, didn't pause.

"He should be a Hall of Famer when it's all said and done," Reid said. "As far as his value, he'll go down as, if not the greatest safety to play here, at least one of the best."

Dawkins' legacy, unlike the player who just left here, isn't muddied by anything. He is liked. He is admired.

Most important, he is respected.

"I don't know how he's perceived outside of the locker room but in here, there's not a guy who's more highly thought of than Brian, the way he goes about his business and the way he plays football," Sean Considine said. "Brian is one of those guys, he doesn't look his age. He looks better than me and he's 10 years older. I don't think age comes into play when you talk about Brian."

[Sgt PSN]

Nice piece.  And even though he may not be the face of this franchise, he's been the heart and sole of it for the better part of the last decade.  He's a true Philadelphia sports icon. 

[Cerevant]

True story: about two years ago, sitting in a restaurant:

Wife: So, what are we going to name the baby?
Me: I don't know...what do you think?
Wife: How about "Donovan Terrell"
Me: Uh, no...I don't think so.
Wife: Who is your favorite Eagle?
Me: That's funny - my two favorite players both have the same first name - Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook
Wife: Well, I guess that decides that...

Brian E., August 13 2005.

Dawk

[Sgt PSN]

The creepy thing about it is that he looks just like 'em. 

[ice grillin you]

True story: about two years ago, sitting in a restaurant:

Wife: So, what are we going to name the baby?
Me: I don't know...what do you think?
Wife: How about "Donovan Terrell"
Me: Uh, no...I don't think so.
Wife: Who is your favorite Eagle?
Me: That's funny - my two favorite players both have the same first name - Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook
Wife: Well, I guess that decides that...


for your kids sake hopefully he doesnt look like brian dawkins cause he is one ugly motherfarger

[Cerevant]

Well, the link is a pic - I don't think he looks like either of them and people always tell us he is cute....but people say that about all babies.

[Geowhizzer]

Dawkins is the man.  As I said before, he and Keith Byars are probably my two favorite Eagles of all time.

[Diomedes]

from NYT

December 23, 2006
Dawkins Leading by Example and Experience
By CLIFTON BROWN

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 21 — Before games, Brian Dawkins transforms from a mild-mannered, Bible-quoting man into a frenzied warrior, running through the tunnel, screaming and posturing as if his body is possessed. Teammates say they are amazed at how someone so mellow off the field becomes so tenacious once he steps into his role as a starting safety for the Eagles.

"He's like Clark Kent," place-kicker David Akers said. "You're talking about a guy with two different personalities. He's very low-key, very spiritual. But when game day comes, he looks like he's coming out of a cage. He plays nonstop, every single play. As a fan of the game, you almost have to enjoy watching Brian Dawkins."

When the Eagles need leadership, Dawkins provides it. He leads them in worship, often as the main speaker during their pregame prayer. He leads their defense as a six-time Pro Bowler, a tenacious tackler who lives by faith but plays with fury. And he leads all current Philadelphia professional athletes in staying power, a fixture with the Eagles for 11 consecutive seasons, outlasting so many others who have come and gone.

In a city known for being tough on athletes, Dawkins appears destined to start and finish his career here, something that Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley, Reggie White and, now, Allen Iverson failed to do. While Dawkins does not compare himself with those Philadelphia sports icons, he is proud of a career that has Hall of Fame potential and proud that he has endeared himself to fans.

"Everybody can't play in Philadelphia," Dawkins said Thursday as he looked forward to a National Football Conference East showdown Monday between the Eagles (8-6) and the Dallas Cowboys (9-5).

"You have to have tough skin," Dawkins said. "You have to be able to deal with criticism. You have to ignore booing, because you're going to get booed — I don't care who you are. You have to look past those things and continue to play your game. Also, you have to go out and put a certain brand of ball on the court, floor, diamond or ice. You have to play a certain way. I think I've done that."

Dawkins is still doing it, showing no sign of losing anything at age 33. On the top shelf of his locker is a figurine collection of his favorite comic-book character, Wolverine of "X-Men." Wolverine is known for his keen senses, allowing him to track adversaries with ease, a trait that describes Dawkins.

His ability to create turnovers makes him one of the N.F.L.'s biggest impact players on defense. Watch any Eagles game, and Dawkins is hard to miss: No. 20, with a visor attached to his face mask, pursuing receivers and ball carriers like a lion chasing his prey. He punishes with his hitting, pressures quarterbacks with his blitzing and frustrates receivers with his coverage.

In 2002 against the Houston Texans, Dawkins became the first player in league history to record a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown reception in the same game. Because of his versatility, Dawkins creates headaches for opposing offenses, often showing up in places they do not expect.

Last Sunday against the Giants, he forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass. The week before against Washington, Dawkins sacked Jason Campbell to snuff out a fourth-quarter drive, helping to preserve a 2-point Philadelphia victory. The week before that against Carolina, he intercepted a pass and returned it 38 yards to set up the winning field goal.

The Eagles, after unexpectedly asserting themselves into the thick of playoff contention, will take a three-game winning streak to Dallas. When the team's starting quarterback, Donovan McNabb, went down with a season-ending knee injury last month, many considered the Eagles doomed. But the backup Jeff Garcia has stepped in to lead the offense.

Dawkins, meanwhile, has fueled the defense and solidified his place as one of the best players in franchise history. He has won more games as an Eagle (91) than anyone in team history, and he ranks fourth on the team's career interception list with 31.

"When Donovan went down, he took it up a notch," Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid said of Dawkins. "He should be a Hall of Famer when it's all said and done. He'll go down as, if not the greatest safety to play here, as one of them."

Asked how it felt to hear that Reid had said that, Dawkins said: "It's a humbling thing, but I'll take it. Hopefully, that will happen one day. It lets me know I'm doing pretty good for this team."

Dawkins's immediate concern is helping the Eagles make the playoffs; his quest to win a Super Bowl remains unfulfilled.

Philadelphia and Dallas already share a heated rivalry. On Monday, the Eagles can clinch a playoff spot by defeating the Cowboys, and Dallas can clinch a division title with a victory. There is also plenty of friction between Dallas receiver Terrell Owens and several Eagles. A feud between Owens and McNabb divided Philadelphia's locker room last season, when Owens was still with the Eagles. Owens also sparred with Garcia when they were teammates in San Francisco.

Some of Philadelphia's locker-room leaders, like Dawkins, were criticized last season for not confronting Owens when he publicly knocked McNabb. But Akers said he believed that those who questioned the strength of the Eagles' locker room were either uninformed or unrealistic.

"You shouldn't see fights among employees," Akers said. "If it's not working out, it's up to management to make a decision. When you look at Brian Dawkins, you're looking at how a true professional is supposed to perform. If that's not enough, if that didn't rub off, than what is?"

Dawkins says he has grown tired of talking about Owens, but if they cross paths Monday, it is not farfetched to think that a ferocious collision could ensue. That is how Dawkins frequently greets opponents.

He says he feels no conflict being a religious man in a violent sport, although he would rather spend Christmas with his wife, Connie, and their children, Brian Jr., 10, and Brionni, 7.

But Dawkins has a game in Dallas, so he will make the transformation from mild-mannered soul to soul of the Eagles' defense.

"I don't shy away from who I am and the ability I've been given," he said. "I've had to work to maintain my physique and to get my body in physical shape to play this game. But I've been blessed with some talents. Sometimes I look back at the film and wonder how in the world I got from Point A to Point B that fast. I know that's not me. I've been given a God-given ability. And I try to do it with excellence."

I just hate inferences like the one Dawk makes here:
"...and wonder how in the world I got from point A to Point B that fast.  I know that's not me."
Yeah moron, it was Jesus who got you there.

farg.