But it was never the superhero persona that truly connected Dawkins so deeply to Philadelphia fans. It was the real man - the collection of sinew and bones and skin and especially heart and soul - that fans responded to. Dawkins was, in the words of an old movie poster, "the most human being you'll ever meet."
It will be Idiot Man who rushes out of the wrong tunnel today. It will be the bulked-up, hyped-up creature behind the dark visor who basks in the adoration of fans who never wanted to say goodbye. But the real target of all this affection and respect will be Brian, who started his NFL career as "Baby Boy" in the catacombs of Veterans Stadium.
Take it from someone who was there, before the Weapon X origin story took shape. Everyone around the Eagles knew Brian Dawkins was special from the day he showed up, and that collective belief in him played a huge role in Dawkins' development. He grew to fit the high expectations he inspired.
To understand him, you have to know that he was too small. He was considered too light to be a strong safety at Clemson, and he arrived in the NFL determined to prove he wasn't too small to survive in the league. If the Eagles hadn't already had Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor back in 1996, they just might have moved the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Dawkins to cornerback.
Instead, with veteran Mike Zordich helping him learn the safety position, and with Vincent and Irving Fryar showing him how to be a husband and father without slighting his football responsibilities, and with coaches Ray Rhodes and Emmitt Thomas relying on him and prodding him and goading him - with all those men in his life, Dawkins established himself right away as a starter, then an impact player, and then a Pro Bowler.
He did all that for a team that got progressively more horrible.
