Dawkins elected; Lynch must wait
MINNE A POLIS» Brian Dawkins, known to many as “Weapon X,” will now be known to all as a Hall of Famer.
On the eve of Super Bowl LII, the former Eagles and Broncos safety was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis, plus senior selections Robert Brazile and Jerry Kramer and contributor Bobby Beathard in the Hall’s Class of 2018. The group — which includes three first-ballot selections in Moss, Urlacher and Lewis — will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 4.
“We’re very happy for Brian Dawkins on his well-deserved election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Broncos president and
CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement from the team. “Brian established himself as one of the NFL’S most respected and beloved players over many years in Philadelphia before joining the Broncos for the final three seasons of his incredible career. Here in Denver, Brian made multiple Pro Bowls as an inspirational leader for our team and a standout in the community. All of us at the Broncos congratulate Brian on being voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
The Hall’s 48-member selection committee convened for more than eight hours in Bloomington, Minn., on Saturday reviewing each candidate and narrowing the list of modern-era players from 15 to 10 and then to the final five.
Former Broncos safety and Ring of Famer John Lynch, a finalist for the fifth consecutive year, failed to make the cut and did not make it to the final round of 10, as he did in 2017.
Dawkins, meanwhile, is headed to Canton as only the ninth true safety — and he could arrive with even more hardware. Currently a football operations executive with the Eagles, Dawkins is one victory away from earning the Super Bowl championship ring that eluded him as a player. (He helped the Eagles get to Super Bowl XXXIX, against the Patriots, but Philadelphia lost 24-21.)
The longtime Eagle (1996-2008) and one of the franchise’s most beloved figures was drafted by Philadelphia in the second round (No. 61 overall) in 1996 and was voted the team’s defensive MVP five times. A member of the 2000s NFL all-decade team, Dawkins earned nine Pro Bowl selections in his career (second-most all time by a safety) and logged 1,146 total tackles, 37 interceptions, 179 pass breakups, 36 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries and 26 sacks.
“This is just my second opportunity as a finalist. Last year was my first,” Dawkins said of his Hall of Fame selection. “There were just certain things I needed to learn about myself, to learn about the process. There is a different appreciation that I have for those individuals that are up there and have waited so long. Because I know what that feels like. I know the discomfort and the anger that you can feel going through those things. So it taught me a lot about myself. But I also get a chance to express my appreciation for those individuals who have waited so long.”
Dawkins closed out his NFL career in Denver, where he played three seasons and was voted the team’s 2009 Ed Block Courage Award winner. Though his time with the Broncos was brief, it had a lasting impact, as he used the second phase of his career to mentor future leaders of the team, including cornerback Chris Harris and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
“What Denver was, it was something that I had to get out of my feelings and my emotions so I could be everything I needed to be for a new team,” Dawkins said. “So everything I was when I was with Philadelphia, I had to be that in Denver. That’s what they were looking for. So I had to, not forget about it, but I had to be able to overcome that pain to be able to be everything I need to be. Because they needed me. There are a lot of things that I did, a lot of conversations I had with young guys there that let them do better for themselves. Had I been selfish with my time, selfish with my feelings, I would have not done what I needed to do.”
Ask those then-young guys and they’ll tell you Dawkins’ mission was accomplished.
“He did a great job,” Harris said. “We used to have an hour of film study together, with just corners and safeties when I first came into the league. He showed me formations and things like that.”
Dawkins joins a long list of Hall of Famers with ties to the Broncos, including cornerback Willie Brown (inducted in 1984), running back Tony Dorsett (1994), general manager Fred Gehrke (1972), defensive tackle Stan Jones (1991) and running back Doak Walker (1986).
The shortlist of longtime Broncos in the Hall, however, remains at five with quarterback-turned-general manager John Elway (inducted in 2004), offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman (2008), running back Floyd Little (2010), tight end Shannon Sharpe (2011) and running back Terrell Davis (2017).
Next year, both lists could grow; Lynch’s wait could finally end, and he could be joined by Broncos owner Pat Bowlen as a contributor and by former cornerback Champ Bailey, who will be eligible for the Hall for the first time in 2019.
But the year of 2018 belongs to Dawkins.