Dawkins: 'Returning For Organization And Fans'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- He's arguably the most beloved athlete in Philadelphia's long and tradition sports history and now he's returning to the team he gave his blood, sweat, and tears too.
Brian Dawkins, better known as 'Weapon X', was hired to join the Eagles' scouting department over the weekend. The nine-time Pro Bowl safety says he is returning not for the people running the organization, but for the organization itself.
"It's not so much the people that run it, because the people that run it can come and go," Dawkins told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show on Monday. "But the Eagle green, the fans, the organization -- that'll be hopefully forever. And so, what I can do for that part of it, is what I'm thinking about when I came back. That's what gets me so excited about this opportunity. It's not so much about the people -- I love working with people and we'll be on the same page on some things and probably not on the other things. But when it comes to me being able to do what I can from a different position now, to help this ball club going forward -- this organization, not just a ball club, but this organization going forward -- is what I want to do."
Related: Brian Dawkins Happy To Be Back With The Eagles
After an illustrious 13-year career in Philadelphia, the Eagles -- run by the team's ex-President Joe Banner at the time -- decided to let Dawkins leave to free-agency in the winter of 2009. Against his own wishes, Dawkins signed and finished his career with the Denver Broncos.
Listen: Brian Dawkins on the 94WIP Morning Show
"I equate to, when you -- and I don't want to, I guess, cheapen when someone mourns -- but that's what I felt like," Dawkins said. "I went through a mourning. I was very sad and very depressed and crying at times when I was up in Denver. But I had to try my best to get over that as soon as possible because I had to be what I needed to be for my teammates in Denver at that time, but yeah it hurt. It hurt tremendously and it took me awhile -- a couple of years -- to truly say I was over that."
When asked why he thinks the fans love him so much, B-Dawk had the perfect answer.
"If a fan had an opportunity and all of the sudden they woke up one day and the lord blessed them with the ability to run, to jump, to tackle -- they knew the game plan for that week and they were able to play professional football for one week," Dawkins said. "For one day, excuse me, how would they play the game? And I just think that they believe they would have played they way I played it. Enjoyed it, had a fun time with it, be energetic, dance if you want to, sing if you want to, cry if you want to."
As a scout now, Dawkins would love to find guys like him -- guys that simply love the game. If only it was that easy.
"Man, I would love to find guys that love the game," Dawkins said when asked what kind of players he will look for as a scout. "We would love to find guys that love to the game. It's hard to see that though. It's hard to see, to quantify somebody that has just a love for the football game. Not what they game can do for you, but you just love the game."