The tears started right away. They rolled down his face and along his cheek, and he dabbed at them now and then with some tissues he clutched in his right hand. He couldnt control itand even if he could, he probably wouldnt have bothered. That was never Brian Dawkins. He never masked his feelings.
I played with my emotions on my sleeve, Dawkins admitted. Thats who I was. Thats who I am.
Saturday marked the first time Dawkins returned to the NovaCare Complex since leaving the Eagles and heading to Denver following the 2008 season. It was, as everyone expected, a moving affair. Dawkins was joined by Andy Reid, Jeffrey Lurie, Joe Banner, and current and former players that included Donovan McNabb, Tra Thomas, Ike Reese, David Akers, Duce Staley, Michael Vick, and Jeremiah Trotter. In front of his peers, as well as an assembly of media, family, friends and Eagles fans, Dawkins signed a one-day contract and officially retired as an Eagle.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
On Sept. 30, prior to a nationally televised Sunday Night Football game against the New York Giants, Dawkins number will also be retired (see story). It will be just the eighth time the Eagles have decommissioned a number. When he was asked about that -- about joining the likes of Steve Van Buren, Tom Brookshier, Pete Retzlaff, Chuck Bednarik, Al Wistert, Reggie White and Jerome BrownDawkins paused for a while. The words wouldnt come at first. He was wearing a mustard-colored shirt and pants combination and a tan fedora. While he tried to compose himself, he lowered his head and the brim of his hat shielded his face. From a few rows away, you could hear him sob gently.
The Eagles have been in existence for a long time, Dawkins said after gathering himself. A lot of people have worn that number throughout that time. And to know that now, because of the way the lord blessed me to play this game, nobody will ever wear it again, thats an honor. What an honor.
He played professional football for 16 seasons, 13 of which unfolded in Philadelphia. He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and a four-time All-Pro. He terrorized opposing offenses and administered brutal, bone-crunching hits. And he will no doubt be honored one day and enshrined in Canton. Dawkins had an amazing careerbut that was almost incidental. He was loved here because of his ability, but more than that he was loved here because he fit in better than any other professional athlete in recent memory. He hails from Jacksonville, Florida, but Brian Dawkins will always be regarded as a Philadelphian.
The fans, I thank you, Dawkins said. You put up with me. You put up with all that ranting and raving, the hollering. And you welcomed that into your households and your living roomsI thank you for welcoming me into your household the way you welcomed me in there. Just know that I appreciate it and I heard what you said. And I continue to hear what you say about your love for this team, the Eagles and the people who play here, and your love for me. And, believe me, that reverberates and comes right back to you, because I love you guys just as well."
News
It is no small or easy thing, to be almost universally accepted in this town. Athletes and front office executives and owners are generally little more than stewardspart-time caretakers of teams that actually belong to the city. They play here and work here, but they are not from here. Dawkins was different. Dawkins was open and honest. Dawkins litterally and figuratively bled on the field, but more importantly he bled with the fans. In an era when so many athletes are distant and disconnected, Dawkins didnt just understand the people here, he was one of them.
In the beginning, I think they saw that I gave everything that I could, Dawkins said.And then, as I began to listen to them, I understood why they push us the way they push us, why they get on us the way they get on us. I understood that this is a city that loves heart. Theyll love youbut when they get on you, they get on you. You have to have thick skin through that short period. Because on the other side of that short period, theyre going to love you again.
That was true for him even if it is rarely true for other players. Maybe thats because Dawkins didnt complain about the citys collective and sometimes-critical approach. He never whined about his treatment or reprimanded the fans for what they thought or said. Instead, he accepted the locals for who they are, and they embraced him for the same reason.
Before Dawkins spoke on Saturday, a video montage of his career was played. There were all sorts of images from memorable moments over the years. In one scene, a host of Eagles gathered around him while he delivered one of his famous, animated pre-game pep talks. The words he chose that day were tailored for his teammates, but they also summed up why he connected with Philadelphia: Respect is not given, Dawkins shouted, it is earned.
E-mail John Gonzalez at jgonzalez@comcastsportsnet.com