A Study in Longevity: Dawkins a Product of Temple Culture

The Mitchell and Debra Sonkin Room, aka the Owl's Nest, prominently overlooks the Temple football facility's outdoor practice field, its windowed outer wall streaming with natural light on a daily basis. Second to none, the massive multi-purpose room is the largest the building has the offer, comfortably fitting the entire team for a number of occasions.

Most notably, Wednesday nights feature a raucous ping-pong tournament. Tuesday afternoons, meanwhile, see the room host head coach Matt Rhule's press conferences, as media from across the city gather for the weekly ritual.

During the hours in-between all the activity, though, Temple largest players — the offensive line — utilize the Owl's Nest for film study and strategic meeting sessions. At the head of the group stands senior left tackle Dion Dawkins, arguably the person who squeezes the most use out of the room whenever possible.

"He's here every night watching film," first-year offensive line coach George DeLeone said. "Coach Rhule has established a culture here at Temple where these players really work hard at football. It's not that they work hard at it because they're told to do it or they're being punished. They do it because they want to do it, and Dion is an example of the culture that has flourished here."

Despite the culture just four years in the making, the Owl brand has prospered under Rhule, making its mark on the college football landscape. And at the center of that rapid expansion has been Dawkins and the current senior class, all who have served as unwitting messengers for the Temple trademark.

As a younger player, the left tackle pointed out he felt that he neither had the time nor the motivation to spend any extra time in the film room. However, a combination of maturity and Rhule's contagious culture has captured the senior's interest down the stretch of his career.

"Off the field, I mostly study film," Dawkins denoted. "I'm pretty much at the facility with DeLeone watching film. As you learn how to manage your time, it has gotten easier to be in here. When I was younger, it was just class, study hall, meetings and homework. Once you get your feet in the dirt and get running with the college flow, you can focus more on football."

Dawkins jumped directly into the starting role as freshman, just one of four incomers at left tackle around the country. While he always added a high level of talent to the offensive left side, it wasn't until this season that he has truly evolved into a leader within the program.

Fellow senior and four-year starter at quarterback, Phillip Walker, has noticed this growth, especially in terms of Dawkins' knowledge boost due to film study.

"He knows way more football than he did last year, and it's unbelievable how much he knows now," Walker added. "It's a great thing to see him mature as a player and a leader as he takes the steps into becoming who he is today."

Tough Shoes to Fill

There is a saying amongst offensive linemen: "all the blame, none of the glory."

Football is a thankless sport when it comes to playing in the game's least publicized and most easily overlooked role. The offensive line has very few stat lines, if any, dedicated to their overall skill, and while the unit's importance is preached by many, few laud the group over the skill positions handling the football.

Unsurprisingly, many offensive lines are tight-knit units because of this trend, sticking together both on and off the field. The leaders act as the group's emotional baseline, absorbing any outside pressure and holding firm under criticism.

For the past three seasons, including last year's record-breaking streak, center Kyle Friend stood at the helm of Temple's O-Line. As a senior, he finished an All-Conference First Team selection and, more importantly for Temple, the offense's first-and-only three-time captain.

Essentially groomed for that same role once Friend graduated this past spring, Dawkins faced a difficult challenge: replacing the long-time face of the unit.

"Kyle was my best friend on and off the field," Dawkins described. "Basically, I absorbed he was doing, because Kyle was a great guy and a great player. I said to myself, 'When it's my turn, I want to do exactly what he's doing, but better.' So I learned from all of his mistakes, and I absorbed everything he was pitching out to all of us. Now I'm just spinning it out, but in a different way."

The difference has come primarily in Dawkins' leadership style, shifting from Friend's more hands-on approach to a similar — but notably gentler — system.

Redshirt junior Adrian Sullivan, who entered the program in the same class as Dawkins, clearly distinguishes between the two athletes' brand of leadership. The shift is centered on how each engages with the rest of the unit, or as Sullivan more eloquently put it, "the different between a pat on the back and kick in the butt."

"As far as his leadership characteristics, he's very vocal," Sullivan said. "He also tends to lead by example. He's not afraid to get on you. He's not just going to tell you what to do, but he's going to show you as well. Kyle was a little bit more intense, where he wasn't as personable as Dion. Dion has that charisma, where you're just really inspired out there. Kyle had that too, but it was always in a more domineering type of way. It's the difference between a pat on the back and a kick in the butt."

As for DeLeone, who has had limited experience with the Owls since joining the program during last offseason, the 46-year veteran has seen it all during his time within the sport. He shared how he evaluates leadership on and off the field: does he bring the same level of criticism to his friends as everyone else?

For the long-time coach, the answer regarding Dawkins was simple.

"The thing that has most impressed me about Dion Dawkins is he's a great leader on the football team," DeLeone said. "The thing that I usually judge leaders on is, are they tough on their friends? Dion really doesn't care. He's going to get on anyone who is letting the team down or needs to be motivated or needs to be positively talked to. He picks people off to the side or he can be tough on people who aren't doing their job."

The shift from a more aggressive Friend to the more subtle Dawkins may be night and day to many on the offensive line, but the latter's perseverance has paid dividends thus far into the season.

Redshirt junior and starting right tackle Leon Johnson has shaped his play style around watching Dawkins at left tackle for three seasons. In terms of his response to how the senior has developed as a leader, Johnson discussed how he never hesitated to place his faith in Dawkins, even with the high expectations Friend left behind.

"He epitomizes what leadership is," Johnson stressed. "I've really grown up watching him. It's actually almost scary sometimes watching what he does right, so just I follow him on and off the field. He does everything the right way, so I follow him."

As for Dawkins himself, he continues to strive for the same level of commitment and dedication Friend brought to the table, emulating many of the graduated center's tendencies and actions.

The most noteworthy of which was that even when the offensive line struggled, Friend remained more critical of himself than anyone.

"Kyle was his biggest critic," Dawkins pointed out. "He took everything personal, whether he stepped wrong or missed a block or didn't engage like he wanted to. He took everything very seriously, to the point where he was almost a pro in college. He did everything as a pro. He was the first one in, the last one to leave. It stood out to me, and if he's taking that approach as a senior, I told myself I should start as a junior. Now, you can tell it's carrying over to my final season."

A Man of the People

From the goofy grin to the highlights in his Mohawk-esque hairstyle, Dawkins certainly has developed a reputation around the program. Ironically, that off-the-field nonchalance is quickly replaced with a hard-nosed seriousness whenever necessary, a side effect of his leadership role with the offensive line.

On the offense alone, Dawkins seems to have developed a relationship with nearly every player and unit for the Owls. According to the senior, his group of offensive linemen may not have many individual stats to look to in terms of success, but every positive play from the skill positions are indicators of a solid O-Line.

"I tell [Walker] everything straight up," Dawkins said. "If I don't do my job, [Walker] won't be able to shine, because I'm his blind side. I'm his left tackle. My job is to make P.J. as comfortable as possible. I've told him before, 'If you don't execute your plays, it's like we're blocking for nothing.' I've said the same thing to the running backs. For the player I dream of being, you have to be at your best because everything you do reflects on us as an offensive line."

Between the quarterback and his left tackle, the connection between the two runs deeper than simple reflections.

Ever since the pair's freshman season together, the two have developed a trust unique within the program. The blind side serves as any signal-caller's weakness while in the pocket, and Dawkins has been holding down that edge for three years.

"The fact that I know that he's back there and that my blind side is protected, it's comforting," Walker discussed. "I know that Dion is going to give his all, and that he's not going to let anyone hit me. That's his whole mentality."

And while Dawkins has worked to create lasting relationships with the other units around the offense, nothing compares to the level of commitment he consistently puts in the offensive line.

Sullivan, who took his first snaps as a starter earlier this season, stressed how vital Dawkins has been during his personal development as a player, ranging from advice on foot placement to overall game strategy.

"He played right away, but my process was a little bit longer," Sullivan recounted. "He has always helped along the way, though, giving me tidbits and advice. I have a lot of respect for him, he's one of the most dominant guys on the O-Line."

Dawkins shared his side of the story as well, focusing on Sullivan's turn this offseason from third string to starting guard. The primary counsel he shared with redshirt junior: you're one of the 'guys' now, so there are no fallbacks.

"Both Adrian and I came into the program at the same time, but I started right away," Dawkins added. "Everyone has a different path. Just talking to him, he's still kind of shocked that he's a player now. There are no more, 'I'm a two, and I had one good play so I'm done. You have to keep coming along. You're not just a regular guy in the facility.' He's developing very well."

Naturally, many across the offensive line have similar stories regarding Dawkins. As the unit has continued to mature this season, its senior leader continues to remain at the center of that transformation.

"I want to say that Dion is really the heart of the O-Line, as far as somebody who provides things that aren't just X's and O's," Sullivan said. "He gives us a lot of energy at practice everyday. He's the coach on the field."

A Path to the Pros

Looking toward the future, the next step for talented college football athletes may seem obvious: the National Football League. In fact, it should come as no surprise that most every player in Temple's locker room aspires to reach the prestigious professional level.

And while a majority of the team may not have an opportunity to reach an NFL tryout, there are few who believe Dawkins won't cut it.

"I would like to get drafted," Dawkins said. "I want to continue to put Temple on the map. I have dreamed about going to the NFL since I was young. I want to make it work and play football for as long as I can, and then come back and teach younger guys the game."

In terms of his success, Dawkins takes no time in crediting Temple and its coaching staff. The culture has an infectious magnetism, and the senior continues to epitomize its ever-growing influence throughout the northeast corridor.

When asked about coaches with a serious impact on his career, though, Dawkins unwaveringly points to DeLeone despite his short time with the notably animated 67-year-old.

"DeLeone is a straightforward guy, and he's a tough guy," Dawkins said. "I love that guy, and he's shown me so many different things. He's been in the game for so long, to the point that everything he says is 100 percent true. He's calling out stuff on the field before it even happens. He's seen players who seem exactly the same, but just have different names. He's one of a kind."

A combination of late night film sessions and endless practices has mashed the experience of DeLeone with the passion of Dawkins, a potent blend for the latter's future success at the next level.

A three-time assistant with professional franchises throughout his career, DeLeone owns both the depth of knowledge and crucial understanding of the professional mindset to guide Dawkins toward his dream of joining the league.

"A lot of NFL scouts have asked me, 'Can he learn?'" DeLeone said. "And it's the only thing they ever ask me because most don't believe a college player can learn the intricacies of an NFL level offense. I answer them the same way every time I'm asked: 'He'll learn because he wants to learn.' He's a football guy. He's sometimes better at figuring things out during a game than during a meeting."

The commitment Dawkins has made to not only Temple, but also his career in football, starts with the culture Rhule brought to program three years ago. As a student of the game, the senior left tackle adds another dimension to his already impressive résumé.

"He'll be an NFL starter if he can finish his year out," DeLeone continued. "He has some qualities, physically, that they're looking for. The biggest thing that will help his progress, though, is that he's tough. I think the kid has a bright future, and I like his potential because of his intangibles. Those qualities are rare to find."

Temple University Athletics

A Study in Longevity: Dawkins a Product of Temple Culture

Players Mentioned

Dion Dawkins

Kyle Friend

Leon Johnson

Adrian Sullivan

Phillip Walker

Related Videos