Brian Dawkins Retires; Hall of Fame Awaits?

Brian Dawkins, for my money the greatest safety in the history of professional football, announced his retirement from the NFL via Twitter. Dawkins spent 16 seasons in the League after being selected in the 2nd Round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. After 13 years with the good guys Dawk left the team to join the Denver Broncos after (former) Head Coach Josh McDaniels decided it was a great idea to offer a 36-year old safety with a history of neck injuries a 5-year contract with nearly $9 Million in guarantees (McDaniels was fired midway through his second season in Denver, because, you know, he sucks).

As many of you who are reading this are probably aware, Dawk is my favorite professional athlete in the history of ever. I cannot think of a single better athlete to ever compete in the city of Philadelphia. Philly fans get a bad rap from the national media but really the only difference between us and the assholes in New York and Boston is that we feel the need to let our own players know when we don't feel that they are giving us their all out on the field because we want them to show that they care as much as we do (a prime example of this is our generally positive memory of Allen Iverson, we are able to forget all of his selfish and immature off-the-court antics because nobody brought it harder for 48 minutes than AI when he was on the court). Dawk's heart was never, ever questioned. In my lifetime he was the universally adored athlete to ever represent the city of Philadelphia. His spirit and passion for the game were downright infectious to fans and teammates alike. I can say with certainty every single Eagles fan would get chills after watching video of Dawk pumping up the defense in the pregame huddle before kickoff.

I could go into detail about his statistical accomplishments like his 9 Pro-Bowl selections, 4 First Team All-Pro appearances or being the first player in the history of the NFL to: score a Touchdown, record a sack, recover a fumble and intercept a pass all in the same game, but his legacy will tell a far deeper story than the numbers ever can. Brian Dawkins was the embodiment of what a professional athlete should be. Off the field he was one of the most pious, humble, softly-spoken and genuinely nice people on the planet (he never uttered a curse word in his adult life). On the field he was nothing short of a modern day berserker, using every fiber of his being to make the play. I may be incredibly biased on this subject but I dare anyone to name a player who gave more than Dawkins did to the game he played, it just isn't possible.

Dawk's eventually retirement started to become a certainty this season after he suffered the second significant neck injury of his career while sparking Denver's defensive surge to the playoffs. Dawkins and his agent have been in contact with the Eagles over the past few weeks attempting to arrange an appropriate ceremony for him to retire as an Eagles. Regardless of how it happens, Dawkins will receive a nearly unprecedented level of adulation during the announcement and at every subsequent appearance he makes at Lincoln Financial Field.