The Inside Story of How Bills LT Dion Dawkins Helped Create 'Protector of the Year'
Beginning this season, the award will be presented annually at "NFL Honors" to the league's top offensive lineman.
The room — filled with O-line greats past and present, in addition to rising stars at both the college and NFL levels, plus coaches and talent evaluators — broke out into applause. Standing in the corner, Dawkins took it all in, busting out a wide smile.
"It was something that was mandatory for football," Dawkins said of the award.
The Bills' four-time Pro Bowl left tackle told me about the "multiyear" campaign he led to create the honor, which was unveiled by the league in May. The winner will be decided annually by a panel of former offensive linemen: LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Shaun O'Hara, Orlando Pace, Will Shields and Andrew Whitworth. Along with Dawkins, Whitworth played an integral role in advocating for the award.
Dawkins told me that they pushed the lengthy campaign through to the finish line at last season's Super Bowl. Dawkins, with Hall of Famer Pace at his side for support, approached NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at his Super Bowl party.
"I was like, 'Rog,'" Dawkins said. "Not one of us could ever say we were the best. We don't have no trophy to say we're the best. … We don't have anything that can show we're the best offensive lineman during our time for a season. We need that award.
"He's like, 'Dion, you're right. I'm ready to listen. I'm here. Let's do it.' So we did it. Call after call after call after call. Meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting. Name [for the award]. This, that — long list of all that stuff. Then we had the press conference. Now, it's official."
The Protector of the Year winner will be selected based on skill metrics (e.g. pass block win rate, run block win rate, penalties, sacks allowed), taking into account impact, leadership, durability and strength of opponent as well. Offensive linemen were previously ineligible for most on-field awards.
"Everybody says, 'He was a great protector.'" Dawkins said. "'Yeah, he was a great lineman. Yeah, he was a lineman for Jim Kelly. Yeah, he was the lineman for [Donovan] McNabb, Michael Vick,' somebody like that. But what good is it to play a sport or to do something and not be able to win an award?
"Like, can you imagine if there was no MVP trophy?" he continued. "Can you imagine if there was no passing title? Can you also imagine if there was no sack title? Or no Defensive Player of the Year? Or no Offensive Player of the Year? If there was no NBA MVP, what would LeBron James be? Just another good player.
"As a lineman, I want to know who the best protector is. Who's the best? And if it's not me, cool — now, I know where I'm at. Now, I know where I was ranked. Cool, no I can fight for it. Simple as that. Now, the big boys have something to fight for. And I love it."
Dawkins also discussed his quarterback, Josh Allen. The three-time Pro Bowler now has an NFL MVP award after this past season, but he hasn't reached a Super Bowl as he enters Year 8. Allen is 0-4 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs, including January's AFC Championship Game loss to Kansas City.
Allen's mentality, Dawkins explained, is not the problem in Buffalo.
"Josh is going to be Josh. Josh doesn't have to do nothing different," Dawkins told me. "Josh is the best that he can be. The reflection is, everybody around him has to be the best that they can be for us to get over that hump. Of course, everybody is like, 'Is Josh Allen going to do it for the Buffalo Bills?' Josh Allen is going to do what he's been doing, and that's be great. Now, all of us have to be great with him, consistently. Make every block. Catch every pass. Kick every kick. Run down to make every tackle. Once we do that, the rest is the rest.
"He's one of them dudes," he added of Allen. "You can't compare him to nothing else, man. He walks through, you feel his presence."
Dawkins made his presence felt at the offensive line masterminds summit, hosted by O-line guru Duke Manyweather and Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson.
Wearing a shirt of himself on Day 1 of the event, Dawkins gave an impromptu speech about his mentality in front of the 200-person room, showing his engaging and confident persona.
"When I walk on the field, I literally say I'm the baddest motherf---er here," he told the room. " I don't give a f---. I'll tell you, 'I'll talk s--- and I'll beat your ass.'"
Entering his 10th season, the 31-year-old Dawkins was one of the handful of greats whom college and younger NFL offensive linemen gravitated to during the summit's breakout sessions, where players could get advice and wisdom.
"People don't want to be linemen. People want to be skinny guys," Dawkins said of his approach to mentorship. "But to make people want to be big guys, you have to be cool and be around big guys, right? You have to stay in the culture.
"Guys are growing up watching music videos," he continued. "You have to know what the world likes. I enjoy being that for the young guys. They look up to it. They're like, 'This dude is cool. He's normal. He's not a robot. He's keeping it real. He's telling his pros and cons. He's a normal dude.'"
One who's not afraid to be himself, taking pride in a big win he secured for the overlooked bodyguards of the NFL.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur .
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chiefs' Rashee Rice to participate in training camp despite jail sentence
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Rashee Rice will be a full participant in training camp, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Sunday, three days after the standout wide receiver was sentenced to 30 days in jail after authorities said he and another speeding driver caused a chain-reaction crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway last year. Whether he will be able to fully participate in the regular season remains to be seen. Reid said on the eve of camp beginning that he has not been told by the NFL whether Rice will serve a suspension, though it is widely expected. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy acknowledged last week "we have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review.' 'We're going to progress as normal with him,' Reid said on the campus of Missouri Western State University. 'He'll go in and take all the reps that he'll normally take. We always rotate that position. Depending on what happens here with the future — whoever needs to play will step in and know what they are doing and be in good shape to do it.' Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury in the March 30, 2024, crash. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors said, Rice was sentenced to five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail as a condition of his probation. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office said that the 25-year-old Rice, who will have some flexibility in when he must serve the jail time, also was required to pay the victims for their out-of-pocket medical expenses, which totaled about $115,000. Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119 mph (191 kph) when he made 'multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic' and struck other vehicles, prosecutors said. After the crash on North Central Expressway, prosecutors said, Rice failed to check on the welfare of those in the other vehicles and fled on foot. Rice said in a statement issued by his attorney that he's had 'a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole.' Rice got off to a flying start to his second NFL season last year, catching 24 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games. But in Week 4, after Patrick Mahomes had thrown an interception, the quarterback accidentally dived into Rice's leg as they were trying to make the tackle, tearing the lateral collateral ligament in his knee. Rice wound up missing the rest of the season, which culminated in a loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl. After spending the season rehabbing the injury, Rice was able to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program, and Reid said he would not be limited by the injury in training camp. That begins with testing and meetings on Tuesday, followed by the first full-squad workout on Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to hit triple digits. 'We'll keep an eye on that,' Reid said of Rice's knee injury. 'As far as pulling back because of suspensions or whatever, you know, we're going forward. And then we'll monitor him as far as (the injury) goes.' In other news, Reid said that cornerback Kristian Fulton and right tackle Jawaan Taylor — who are dealing with their own knee injuries — would begin the season alongside tight end Tre Watson on the physically unable-to-perform list. Fulton signed a two-year, $20 million contract to solidify the secondary while Taylor is expected to start at right tackle. Reid also said first-round pick Josh Simmons, who is coming off a torn patellar tendon at Ohio State, would not be limited at the start of training camp. The Chiefs hope that Simmons is able to prove he can handle the job at left tackle, where a rotating cast of characters was unable to protect Mahomes' blind side last season. With Taylor on the PUP list, the Chiefs will start with Simmons at left tackle and Jaylon Moore — who signed a two-year, $30 million deal in free agency — at right tackle. But it's possible that Moore could push Simmons for the starting job on the left side during training camp in what could be the biggest position battle for the defending AFC champions. "We evaluate these guys every day," Reid said. 'Whether it's a light practice or a hard day, they're evaluated, and graded, and so on. We'll see how it all sorts out.' ___ AP NFL:
San Francisco Chronicle
12 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Chiefs' Rashee Rice to participate in training camp despite jail sentence
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Rashee Rice will be a full participant in training camp, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Sunday, three days after the standout wide receiver was sentenced to 30 days in jail after authorities said he and another speeding driver caused a chain-reaction crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway last year. Whether he will be able to fully participate in the regular season remains to be seen. Reid said on the eve of camp beginning that he has not been told by the NFL whether Rice will serve a suspension, though it is widely expected. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy acknowledged last week "we have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review.' 'We're going to progress as normal with him,' Reid said on the campus of Missouri Western State University. 'He'll go in and take all the reps that he'll normally take. We always rotate that position. Depending on what happens here with the future — whoever needs to play will step in and know what they are doing and be in good shape to do it.' Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury in the March 30, 2024, crash. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors said, Rice was sentenced to five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail as a condition of his probation. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office said that the 25-year-old Rice, who will have some flexibility in when he must serve the jail time, also was required to pay the victims for their out-of-pocket medical expenses, which totaled about $115,000. Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119 mph (191 kph) when he made 'multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic' and struck other vehicles, prosecutors said. After the crash on North Central Expressway, prosecutors said, Rice failed to check on the welfare of those in the other vehicles and fled on foot. Rice said in a statement issued by his attorney that he's had 'a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole.' Rice got off to a flying start to his second NFL season last year, catching 24 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games. But in Week 4, after Patrick Mahomes had thrown an interception, the quarterback accidentally dived into Rice's leg as they were trying to make the tackle, tearing the lateral collateral ligament in his knee. Rice wound up missing the rest of the season, which culminated in a loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl. After spending the season rehabbing the injury, Rice was able to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program, and Reid said he would not be limited by the injury in training camp. That begins with testing and meetings on Tuesday, followed by the first full-squad workout on Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to hit triple digits. 'We'll keep an eye on that,' Reid said of Rice's knee injury. 'As far as pulling back because of suspensions or whatever, you know, we're going forward. And then we'll monitor him as far as (the injury) goes.' In other news, Reid said that cornerback Kristian Fulton and right tackle Jawaan Taylor — who are dealing with their own knee injuries — would begin the season alongside tight end Tre Watson on the physically unable-to-perform list. Fulton signed a two-year, $20 million contract to solidify the secondary while Taylor is expected to start at right tackle. Reid also said first-round pick Josh Simmons, who is coming off a torn patellar tendon at Ohio State, would not be limited at the start of training camp. The Chiefs hope that Simmons is able to prove he can handle the job at left tackle, where a rotating cast of characters was unable to protect Mahomes' blind side last season. With Taylor on the PUP list, the Chiefs will start with Simmons at left tackle and Jaylon Moore — who signed a two-year, $30 million deal in free agency — at right tackle. But it's possible that Moore could push Simmons for the starting job on the left side during training camp in what could be the biggest position battle for the defending AFC champions. "We evaluate these guys every day," Reid said. 'Whether it's a light practice or a hard day, they're evaluated, and graded, and so on. We'll see how it all sorts out.'
Fox Sports
12 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Chiefs' Rashee Rice to participate in training camp despite jail sentence
Associated Press ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Rashee Rice will be a full participant in training camp, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Sunday, three days after the standout wide receiver was sentenced to 30 days in jail after authorities said he and another speeding driver caused a chain-reaction crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway last year. Whether he will be able to fully participate in the regular season remains to be seen. Reid said on the eve of camp beginning that he has not been told by the NFL whether Rice will serve a suspension, though it is widely expected. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy acknowledged last week "we have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review.' 'We're going to progress as normal with him,' Reid said on the campus of Missouri Western State University. 'He'll go in and take all the reps that he'll normally take. We always rotate that position. Depending on what happens here with the future — whoever needs to play will step in and know what they are doing and be in good shape to do it.' Rice pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury in the March 30, 2024, crash. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors said, Rice was sentenced to five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail as a condition of his probation. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office said that the 25-year-old Rice, who will have some flexibility in when he must serve the jail time, also was required to pay the victims for their out-of-pocket medical expenses, which totaled about $115,000. Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119 mph (191 kph) when he made 'multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic' and struck other vehicles, prosecutors said. After the crash on North Central Expressway, prosecutors said, Rice failed to check on the welfare of those in the other vehicles and fled on foot. Rice said in a statement issued by his attorney that he's had 'a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole.' Rice got off to a flying start to his second NFL season last year, catching 24 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games. But in Week 4, after Patrick Mahomes had thrown an interception, the quarterback accidentally dived into Rice's leg as they were trying to make the tackle, tearing the lateral collateral ligament in his knee. Rice wound up missing the rest of the season, which culminated in a loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl. After spending the season rehabbing the injury, Rice was able to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program, and Reid said he would not be limited by the injury in training camp. That begins with testing and meetings on Tuesday, followed by the first full-squad workout on Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to hit triple digits. 'We'll keep an eye on that,' Reid said of Rice's knee injury. 'As far as pulling back because of suspensions or whatever, you know, we're going forward. And then we'll monitor him as far as (the injury) goes.' In other news, Reid said that cornerback Kristian Fulton and right tackle Jawaan Taylor — who are dealing with their own knee injuries — would begin the season alongside tight end Tre Watson on the physically unable-to-perform list. Fulton signed a two-year, $20 million contract to solidify the secondary while Taylor is expected to start at right tackle. Reid also said first-round pick Josh Simmons, who is coming off a torn patellar tendon at Ohio State, would not be limited at the start of training camp. The Chiefs hope that Simmons is able to prove he can handle the job at left tackle, where a rotating cast of characters was unable to protect Mahomes' blind side last season. With Taylor on the PUP list, the Chiefs will start with Simmons at left tackle and Jaylon Moore — who signed a two-year, $30 million deal in free agency — at right tackle. But it's possible that Moore could push Simmons for the starting job on the left side during training camp in what could be the biggest position battle for the defending AFC champions. "We evaluate these guys every day," Reid said. 'Whether it's a light practice or a hard day, they're evaluated, and graded, and so on. We'll see how it all sorts out.' ___ AP NFL: recommended Item 1 of 3
