The Next Hall of Fame Inductee For All 32 NFL Teams
By Erik Lambert
Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Dawkins
People love to claim that the 2000s were a decade dominated by Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu at the safety position. Of course this would cause a riot in Philadelphia, Eagles fans would howl at the indignation that Brian Dawkins not being included in that tier. After all he was every bit as good as both those players over a long period of time. A rare breed who could throw his body around the line of scrimmage but had the range and instinct to play coverage as well.
It’s reflected in his stat line. Dawkins made over 1,100 tackles, intercepted 41 passes, forced 36 fumbles, and grabbed 26 sacks. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler spanning two different franchises and lived in the playoff scene throughout his career. The Eagles made the postseason eight times when he manned the back end of their defense. Since he left in 2009, they’ve made it three times and are 0-3 during those trips. The guy was a gamer in every sense of the word.