By Darin Hayes October 13, 1973 – Brian Dawkins, a safety out of Clemson University, was born.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Dawkins as the 61st overall pick in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. In 16 NFL seasons, he played 13 with the Philadelphia Eagles and made nine Pro Bowls, including being an All-Pro 5 times. He played out the remaining years of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website bio on him.
Dawkins served the Eagles as an executive of football operations for player development from 2016 to 2018 and was with the organization when they won Super Bowl LII. The Pro Football Hall of Fame invited Brian Dawkins into their exclusive Gold Jacket Club in 2018.
Nicknamed “Weapon X” for his fierce and versatile style of play, Brian Dawkins starred as a free safety for 16 NFL seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles (1996–2008) before finishing his career with the Denver Broncos (2009–2011). Drafted out of Clemson, Dawkins became the emotional and defensive leader of the Eagles, guiding them to multiple playoff runs and a Super Bowl appearance. He was a revolutionary player, becoming the first in NFL history to record at least 25 sacks, 30 interceptions, and 30 forced fumbles in a career, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest and hardest-hitting safeties of all time.
Brian Dawkins Football Accolades and Highlights
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee: Class of 2018
- 9x Pro Bowl Selection (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 4x First-team All-Pro (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006)
- NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
- Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
- Philadelphia Eagles Retired Number 20
- First Player in NFL History with 25+ Sacks, 30+ Interceptions, and 30+ Forced Fumbles
- Tied Eagles Franchise Record for Career Interceptions (34)
- Exclusive NFL Defensive Club (35+ career interceptions and 20+ career sacks)
- NFL All-Rookie Team (1996)
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