You already shnow Dawkins brought his unique ball of energy to his conversation with Kay Adams on the set of “Up & Adams”
To wrap up last week’s round of practice sessions at St. John Fisher University, Kay Adams of “Up & Adams” paid a visit to the Buffalo Bills in Rochester, NY. Adams was in town to find out what’s new with the Bills, and to bring out less-seen sides of the personalities among some of Bills Mafia’s favorite players.
Often, Adams is looking to engage professional athletes in a way that transcends typical football discussion. A man who knows a thing or two about personality, left tackle Dion Dawkins has frequently discussed what quarterback Josh Allen means to him, brings to the team, and provides as a friend away from football.
But on the grid iron, Dawkins has seen a difference in Allen this summer. “He came into camp, like, with this different mindset in this year — and when you’re around him, you can feel it. And, you know, 17 he’s done a lot of things and for the people to, you know, say certain things about him... he just lets it all go. And now he’s just out there being who he is. and that’s Josh Allen The Great.”
At the end of the day, Dawkins knows that his job starts and ends with protecting Josh Allen’s blind side, and that it’s going to require him playing at an All-Pro level. “I plan on being the best player to ever protect for 17. Ever. Ever.” And QB17 has taken his game to another level this summer, according to Dawkins. “Josh is just getting more of a feel of who he wants to be, and not what the world wants him to be.”
Among the many great things about Dion Dawkins is his ability to look at things through a big-picture lens. Similar to the way offensive coordinator Joe Brady prefers a system where all parts and players thrive conceptually within their roles and toward the greater good of advancing their teammates, Dawkins often meets melds with that aura as he speaks about life and the team. Adams asked whether this year’s Bills team is better than last year, to which Dawkins emphatically stated: “Every year it gets better. That’s why Brandon Beane is who he is.” Adams continued to drill down, wondering why the 2024 Bills are stronger, with “a better chance at knocking at the door than last year.”
Dawkins paused for a moment before stating “I don’t wanna shoot anyone down but... when you have a lot of guys on a football team that are right at that cusp that are trying to get to that elite-level player and to be like ‘that guy’ — when you’re trying to become him, when you’re trying to get paid, and when you’re trying to take that next step. It’s a room full of dogs. Everybody understands what they’re up against and what they have to do to get what they got to get in life. We have a lot of guys that are right at that cusp, and it’s a good feeling to have a lot of guys that are just in a dog fight every day.”
You can read into that what you will, but this isn’t the first time Dawkins has responded this way — and it may reveal a bit about what was missing in previous seasons. Hunger, humility, and tenacity as gridiron warriors better together and united in a common goal.
One of Bills Mafia’s favorite players, cornerback Tre’Davious White, is on to new opportunities with the Los Angeles Rams. Dawkins and White are close friends, and they keep in touch with one another regularly. Adams was curious if Dawkins would cheer a little if White caught an interception off Josh Allen. “I would cheer for Tre’. After the game. I would cheer for him on FaceTime. I just hope that Tre’ knows that he’s behind enemy lines now. It’s just like how I told Poyer. I said there’s plays where I’m gonna pull around and get to hit you. So when I pull around and I hit you, just know you got a different jersey on and I will talk to you after the game. So get ready.”
Pivoting to the matter at hand, Dawkins continued “I’m happy for Tre’ and Ikea and his family. You know, Tre’ is a good dude and if anybody could bounce back and get to the level that he was at, it’s definitely Tre’ White.”
Last season Dion Dawkins had a pretty public dispute with members of the New York Jets’ defense. Dawkins wanted to clear things up once and for all:
“There ain’t no beef with the Jets. It’s just some of the players that say things that they shouldn’t be saying.” Dawkins used the analogy of Michael Jordan having to endure strife from a no-name player on the court. “Josh Allen is my Michael Jordan. So, you wanna talk to MJ in front of me, and I’m his personal protector? Oh yeah, I’m the first one to throw hands. I’m the first one. I’m the first one and I’m gonna be that every single time. That’s what our life is, and that’s where my mind is. I’m a protector. Everything in my life has been that. I protect my family, I protect my friends, protect my quarterback. That’s who I am.”
Dawkins then admitted that no one on the Jets’ defense can talk smack to Josh Allen. There’s so much more to hear from Dion Dawkins’ interview with Kay Adams, which you can check out in full below.