Latest news with #Dawkins
Fox Sports
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
The Inside Story of How Bills LT Dion Dawkins Helped Create 'Protector of the Year'
THE COLONY, Texas — As the first day of the eighth annual offensive line masterminds summit wrapped up, all eyes in the COSM Dallas dome hall turned to the Bills' Dion Dawkins. Perennial Pro Bowler and recent retiree Terron Armstead, moderating a panel of Hall of Fame linemen, took a moment to shout out Buffalo's left tackle for spearheading the campaign that led to the creation of the "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 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
Miami Herald
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Another HBCU Star Bolts to Power Four Program
Florida A&M's (FAMU) Kirk Dawkins was one of the best stories in college track this season. Now, he's taking his talents to a Power Four program. After a record-breaking run through the 2025 season, Dawkins-who proudly carried the HBCU banner into the NCAA Outdoor Championships-has entered the transfer portal and committed to Iowa State University of the Big 12. It's the latest blow in what's becoming an all-too-familiar pattern: elite HBCU track and field talent leaving for Power Four programs. But to understand why Dawkins' departure matters, you have to understand what he meant to FAMU. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica-where sprinting is second nature and Olympic medals are a national currency-Dawkins grew up racing through the streets on errands for his parents. He honed his craft at Kingston College before taking a leap to the U.S. to compete at the University at Albany. The cold Northeast didn't suit him, and after one season, Dawkins transferred to Florida A&M. That's when everything changed. With warmth on the track and in the community, Dawkins found his stride. In 2025, he swept the SWAC's indoor and outdoor 800-meter titles, added gold in the mile and 1500-meter, and broke through at the NCAA East Prelims with a personal-best 1:46.62 to punch his ticket to Eugene, Oregon, for the NCAA Championships. "Saying that you're going to make it to Eugene is one thing, but doing it is the next," Dawkins told the Tallahassee Democrat before the NCAA Outdoor Championships. "I have some unfinished business." Dawkins wasn't just representing FAMU in Eugene-he was carrying the HBCU flag solo in the 800-meter race. "To know I'm the only one representing FAMU and HBCUs at the national meet is a very nice feeling," he said. "It's all about executing and coming out on top." Even before the NCAA Championships, Dawkins had made history, becoming the first Rattler since 2022 to qualify for the event. His coaches, Garfield Ellenwood II and Tamika Kimchen, had seen this coming. "We set out a plan," Dawkins told the Democrat. "If I got to a specific point, we knew this season would be the year of glory." But it's not just glory Kirk Dawkins is chasing. He's eyeing a spot on Jamaica's national team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. He needs a 1:44.70 to qualify-less than two seconds off his PR. "I believe with the training I've been doing and the mentorship of my coaches, family, and peers, I know I have a big chance of making it," Dawkins said. Dawkins' transfer to Iowa State is the latest in a wave of high-profile HBCU track and field stars departing for Power Four schools this summer. He joins names like Jamarion Stubbs, Tyson Williams, and Amarianna Lofton. Stubbs, a sprint king from Alabama State, announced his transfer to Arkansas after racking up six SWAC titles and a top-25 NCAA ranking in the 100 meters. Johnson C. Smith's Tyson Williams-a freshman phenom and DII indoor 200m champ. Committed to South Carolina shortly after placing third at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships. Then came Central State's Amarianna Lofton, a two-time SIAC high jump champion and elite multi-event performer, who announced her move to Purdue. She leaves CSU with four conference golds and a legacy of dominance in the jumps and hurdles. One after another, HBCU stars are leaping from conference podiums to Power 4 lineups. And it's not a knock on their original schools. It reflects how good HBCU programs have gotten at developing elite athletes. Is it fair to ask a student-athlete not to chase greater exposure, better facilities, and potential Olympic pipelines? Or is it a gut-punch to programs like FAMU that have poured in the coaching, care, and culture? But Kirk Dawkins is different. While others left after DII championships or breakout freshman seasons, Dawkins reached the pinnacle of NCAA Division I competition-on his own terms, from an HBCU, without the hype machine of a Power Four behind him. "All the hard work and the days of throwing up all paid off," said Garfield Ellenwood II, Director of Track and Field at FAMU. "To see his excitement-that's what it's about… seeing them reach their goals." Still, the pattern is clear. HBCUs are producing world-class athletes, but keeping them is becoming the next big challenge. Whether it's improved NIL deals, better facilities, or Olympic development pipelines, Power 4 programs have plenty to offer. And while HBCU coaches remain proud of their athletes' success, every departure leaves another "what if" behind. Dawkins was set to graduate in 2026 with a degree in Supply Chain Management, and his love for FAMU runs deep. He calls it "a place of culture," and credits his transformation to the mentorship and support he received there. "I'm not going to the meet like I'm from one of the smallest schools," he said before the NCAA Championships. "It's all about executing and coming out on top." Whether he runs his next race in Iowa State colors or on the world stage for Jamaica, Dawkins will always be a part of HBCU track and field's proud lineage. But his departure-and the growing trend it represents-raises big questions. Can HBCUs remain the launchpad for elite track talent and also the destination? Or are they now destined to be a proving ground from which Power Four programs pluck? For now, all we know is this: Kirk Dawkins is headed to Iowa State. But the legacy he leaves at FAMU-and the fire he sparked across HBCU track-won't fade anytime soon. The post Another HBCU Star Bolts to Power Four Program appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Record-breaking Suryavanshi helps India colts beat England
Northampton: Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued his rich vein of form by smashing a record nine sixes as India defeated England by four wickets in the rain-truncated third U19 Youth ODI to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series here. The 14-year-old Suryavanshi, who had come close to striking half-centuries in the previous two games before getting dismissed in his 40s, finally made his innings count as he clobbered the home team bowling on way to 86 off just 31 deliveries as India chased England's 268/6 in 34.3 overs on Wednesday. Suryavanshi's knock was studded with six boundaries and nine maximums. In fact, nine sixes by Suryavanshi is the highest number of maximums hit by an Indian batter in an U-19 ODI eclipsing the previous record of eight sixes by Mandeep Singh. India suffered a slump in the middle overs with the team reduced to 199 for 6 in the 24th over. But bowling all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan (3/30), who had taken three England wickets earlier, hit an unbeaten 43 (42 balls) and shared an unbroken 75-run stand with RS Ambrish (31 not out) to guide the team to victory. Suryavanshi ravaged every single bowler that bowled to him and made his intentions clear when he smacked right-arm pacer Sebastian Morgan for two consecutive sixes in the third over. Morgan came in for some harsh punishment again in his subsequent over when he was hit for two more sixes and a boundary by the 14-year-old batting sensation, who has been on a roll since showing his precocious talent in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals. England left-arm pacer James Minto bore the brunt of Suryavanshi's fury in the sixth over, going for 23 runs, which included three sixes and a boundary. When Suryavanshi was finally dismissed, caught by Joseph Moores off right-arm pacer Alexander Wade, India had wiped off 111 runs from the target in only the eighth over. Suryavanshi's departure saw India struggle a bit in the middle overs before Kanishk and Ambrish played with caution to guide the team home with 33 balls to spare. Earlier, England skipper Thomas Rew smashed an unbeaten 76 (44 balls) while opener Ben Dawkins struck form with a fine 62 as the hosts scored a competitive 268 for 6 after the match was delayed due to a wet outfield. Dawkins, a right-handed batter, following two successive below-par scores, gave England the start they needed after they were put in to bat by the visitors on an overcast day. Dawkins and his left-handed opening partner Isaac Mohammed (41 off 43 balls) displayed immense calm playing the moving ball as they stitched together a 78-run partnership at the top to give the hosts the start they needed.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Record-breaking Suryavanshi helps India U-19s beat England by 4 wickets
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued his rich vein of form by smashing a record nine sixes as India defeated England by four wickets in the rain-truncated third U19 Youth ODI to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series here. The 14-year-old Suryavanshi, who had come close to striking half-centuries in the previous two games before getting dismissed in his 40s, finally made his innings count as he clobbered the home team bowling on way to 86 off just 31 deliveries as India chased England's 268/6 in 34.3 overs on Wednesday. Suryavanshi's knock was studded with six boundaries and nine maximums. In fact, nine sixes by Suryavanshi is the highest number of maximums hit by an Indian batter in an U-19 ODI eclipsing the previous record of eight sixes by Mandeep Singh. India suffered a slump in the middle overs with the team reduced to 199 for 6 in the 24th over. But bowling all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan (3/30), who had taken three England wickets earlier, hit an unbeaten 43 (42 balls) and shared an unbroken 75-run stand with RS Ambrish (31 not out) to guide the team to victory. Suryavanshi ravaged every single bowler that bowled to him and made his intentions clear when he smacked right-arm pacer Sebastian Morgan for two consecutive sixes in the third over. Morgan came in for some harsh punishment again in his subsequent over when he was hit for two more sixes and a boundary by the 14-year-old batting sensation, who has been on a roll since showing his precocious talent in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals. England left-arm pacer James Minto bore the brunt of Suryavanshi's fury in the sixth over, going for 23 runs, which included three sixes and a boundary. When Suryavanshi was finally dismissed, caught by Joseph Moores off right-arm pacer Alexander Wade, India had wiped off 111 runs from the target in only the eighth over. Suryavanshi's departure saw India struggle a bit in the middle overs before Kanishk and Ambrish played with caution to guide the team home with 33 balls to spare. Earlier, England skipper Thomas Rew smashed an unbeaten 76 (44 balls) while opener Ben Dawkins struck form with a fine 62 as the hosts scored a competitive 268 for 6 after the match was delayed due to a wet outfield. Dawkins, a right-handed batter, following two successive below-par scores, gave England the start they needed after they were put in to bat by the visitors on an overcast day. Dawkins and his left-handed opening partner Isaac Mohammed (41 off 43 balls) displayed immense calm playing the moving ball as they stitched together a 78-run partnership at the top to give the hosts the start they needed. Isaac's dismissal did not slow the flow of runs as the next batter in Ben Mayes played an almost run-a-ball innings scoring 31 (32) to guide England to 133/2 by the 22nd over. The 55-run partnership for the second wicket between Dawkins and Mayes really gave the home team the momentum, which was later capitalised by skipper Rew as he launched into the Indian bowling attack by playing some cracking shots that left the visitors searching for ideas. Brief scores: England U-19: 174 all out in 42.2 overs (Isaac Mohammed 41, BJ Dawkins 62, Ben Mayes 31, Thomas Rew 76 not out, Ralphie Albert 21; Kanishk Chouhan 3/30) lost to India U-19: 274 for 6 in 34.3 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 86, Vihaan Malhotra 46, Rahul Kumar 27, Kanishk Chouhan 43 not out, RS Ambrish 31 not out; Alexander Wade 2/58).
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Business Standard
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
ENG vs IND U19 ODI: Suryavanshi stars as India beat England by 4 wickets
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued his rich vein of form by smashing a record nine sixes as India defeated England by four wickets in a rain-truncated third U19 Youth ODI to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series here on Wednesday. The 14-year-old Suryavanshi, who had come close to striking half-centuries in the previous two games before getting dismissed in his 40s, finally made his innings count as he clobbered the home team bowling on way to 86 off just 31 deliveries as India chased down England's 268/6 in 34.3 overs. Suryavanshi's innings was studded with six boundaries and nine maximums. In fact, nine sixes by Suryavanshi is the highest number of maximums hit by an Indian batter in an U-19 ODI eclipsing the previous record of eight sixes by Mandeep Singh. India suffered a slump in the middle overs with the team reduced to 199 for 6 in the 24th over before bowling all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan (3/30), who had taken three England wickets earlier, hit an unbeaten 43 (42 balls) and shared an unbroken 75-run stand with RS Ambrish (31 not out) guided the team to victory. Suryavanshi ravaged every single bowler that bowled to him and made his intentions clear when he smacked right-arm pacer Sebastian Morgan for two consecutive sixes in the third over. Morgan came in for some harsh punishment again in his subsequent over when he was hit two more sixes and a boundary by the 14-year-old batting sensation, who has been on a roll since showing his precocious talent in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals. England left-arm pacer James Minto bore the brunt of Raghuvanshi's fury in the sixth over, going for 23 runs, which included three sixes and a boundary. When Suryavanshi was finally dismissed, caught by Joseph Moores off right-arm pacer Alexander Wade, India had wiped off 111 runs from the target in only the eighth over. Raghuvanshi's departure saw India struggle a bit in the middle overs before Kanishk and Ambrish played with caution to guide the team home with 33 balls to spare. Earlier, England skipper Thomas Rew smashed an unbeaten 76 (44 balls) while opener Ben Dawkins struck form with a fine 62 as the hosts scored a competitive 268 for 6 after the match was delayed due to a wet outfield. Dawkins, a right-handed batter, following two successive below-par scores, gave England the start they needed after they were put into bat by the visitors on an overcast day. Dawkins and his left-handed opening partner Isaac Mohammed (41 off 43 balls) displayed immense calm playing the moving ball as they stitched together a 78-run partnership at the top to give the hosts the start they needed. Isaac's dismissal did not slow down the flow of runs as the next batter in Ben Mayes played an almost run-a-ball innings scoring 31 (32) to guide England to 133/2 by the 22nd over. The 55-run partnership for the second wicket between Dawkins and Mayes really gave the home team the momentum, which was later capitalised by skipper Rew as he launched into the Indian bowling attack by playing some cracking shots that left the visitors searching for ideas. Brief scores: England U-19: 174 all out in 42.2 overs (Isaac Mohammed 41, BJ Dawkins 62, Ben Mayes 31, Thomas Rew 76 not out, Ralphie Albert 21; Kanishk Chouhan 3/30) lost to India U-19: 274 for 6 in 34.3 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 86, Vihaan Malhotra 46, Rahul Kumar 27, Kanishk Chouhan 43 not out, RS Ambrish 31not out; Alexander Wade 2/58).
