Brian Dawkins

Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr. (born October 13, 1973), nicknamed "Weapon X", is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Dawkins using a compensatory pick they received from the departure of Seth Joyner in free agency in 1994.

Dawkins entered training camp slated as the backup free safety behind Eric Zomalt who earned the starting role after Greg Jackson departed in free agency.

Head coach Ray Rhodes named Dawkins the backup free safety to start the regular season, behind Eric Zomalt.

He made his professional regular-season debut in the Philadelphia Eagles' season-opener at the Washington Redskins and made one tackle in their 17–14 victory.

The following week, Dawkins earned his first career start and collected a season-high 11 combined tackles during a 39–13 loss at the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.

He received first-team All-ACC Honors in 1995 and was selected by the Associated Press and Sporting News as a second-team All-American as a senior when his team-high six interceptions tied him for the conference lead.

He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft.

In his last three seasons, he played for the Denver Broncos.

Regarded as one of the greatest safeties of all time, Dawkins was viewed as the leader of the Eagles' defense, named to nine Pro Bowls and five All-Pro first-teams during his career.

He also made one Super Bowl appearance with the Eagles in XXXIX, which was played in his home city of Jacksonville, Florida.

He was named the first-team strong safety on Clemson's all-centennial team in 1996 and was selected to their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Dawkins in the second round (61st overall) of the 1996 NFL draft.

Dawkins was the fifth safety drafted in 1996.

On September 18, 1996, head coach Ray Rhodes officially named Dawkins the starting free safety, alongside strong safety Mike Zordich, after he surpassed Eric Zomalt on the depth chart.

Zomalt was subsequently released the following day.

On September 22, 1996, Dawkins recorded four combined tackles and made his first career interception during a 33–18 win at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.

Dawkins made his first career interception off a pass by Falcons' backup quarterback Bobby Hebert, that was originally intended for wide receiver Bert Emanuel, and returned it for a 30-yard gain to seal the Eagles' victory in the fourth quarter.

In Week 5, he recorded eight combined tackles, forced a fumble, and made his first career sack in the Eagles' 23–19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Dawkins made his first career sack on Cowboys' quarterback Troy Aikman during the third quarter and also stripped the ball during the play.

The ball was recovered by Dawkins' teammate Rhett Hall and returned for a 32-yard touchdown.

He finished his rookie season in 1996 with 75 combined tackles, three interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble in 14 games and 13 starts.

The Philadelphia Eagles' defense ranked 21st in the league overall, but allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards (2,979 yards) in 1996.

The Philadelphia Eagles finished second in the NFC East with a 10–6 record and earned a wildcard berth.

On December 29, 1996, Dawkins started in his first career playoff game and recorded six combined tackles as they lost 14–0 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Game.

Defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas retained Dawkins and Mike Zordich as the starting safeties in 1997, along with cornerbacks Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor.

On September 28, 1997, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles during a 28–19 loss at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5.

Dawkins was inactive for a Week 8 victory against the Arizona Cardinals due to an injury.

On December 7, 1997, Dawkins recorded seven combined tackles and returned an interception for his first career touchdown during the Eagles' 32–21 loss to the New York Giants in Week 15.

Dawkins intercepted a pass by quarterback Danny Kanell, that was initially thrown to wide receiver Chris Calloway, and returned it for a 64-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

He finished the 1997 season with 75 combined tackles, three interceptions, and a touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts.

The Eagles' defense finished ranked 24th overall, but allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards (2,923 yards) in 1997.

Head coach Ray Rhodes elected to retain the starting secondary for the second consecutive season.

On December 7, 1998, Dawkins collected a season-high eight combined tackles and forced a fumble during a 31–21 loss to the New York Giants in Week 15.

Dawkins was sidelined for two games (Weeks 7–9) due to an injury.

On January 11, 2013, Clemson University established the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award to annually honor a former Clemson player for their performance on the field, contributions in leadership and community service.

In addition to his playing career, 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.

He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

Dawkins attended Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

A three-year starter at free safety for the Clemson Tigers football team, he finished his career with 247 tackles and 11 interceptions.