Brian Dawkins, one of the best defensive players of our generation, retired Monday after a 16 year NFL career. Despite not winning a Super Bowl ring, he had a long and accomplished career, earning 9 trips to the Pro Bowl, and 6 All-Pro selections. I personally feel his best chances at a Super Bowl were from 2002-04, but enough about that. While he spent the last 3 years of his career with the hated Denver Broncos, which was honestly hard for me as a Raider fan, most football fans, including myself, will remember the 13 seasons he spent wearing the green and white of the Philadelphia Eagles. In Philadelphia, he established himself as one of the NFL's most versatile defenders and hardest hitters. When watching him play with the Eagles, you were just as likely to be see him going after an opposing quarterback as covering an opposing receiver downfield. A prime example of his versatility was in 2002 against the Houston Texans, when he became the first, and so far only, player in the history of the NFL to have a sack, an interception, a forced fumble, and a touchdown in the same game. His impact on his team was also felt in the locker room. He became the unquestioned leader of the Eagles, and fulfilled that same role with the Broncos when he arrived in Denver. To me, it is no coincidence that the Eagles defense began to slip after the Eagles let Brian go.
What I truly loved about Brian, though, was the heart, passion, and effort he brought to every single game. It did not matter if he was injured or not or if his team was winning or losing, he would go out there and play with full intensity until the final whistle. This is what made him such a well-respected player, even by fans of rival teams. Brian's style of play impressed me so much, that it was a major reason why I would cheer for the Eagles as my "backup team" in the playoffs if the Raiders were out of contention. Even in his 3 years with the Broncos, despite the fact I absolutely hate the Broncos and I hated to see him wear that blue and orange uniform, I still loved and respected Brian the same way I did when he was in Philadelphia playing for the Eagles. So, all I have left to say is, Brian, I'll miss you and what you brought to football. You may not have been considered the most athletic, the flashiest, or the quickest, but you made up for it with heart, passion, and intensity, and that is what made you one of the greatest.
An NFL Films segment on Brian:
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