“I watched every game he played,” said Dawson Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I know everything about him.”
Dawson and Collins call themselves godbrothers. More than 10 years Collins’ junior, Dawson grew up idolizing the three-time All-Pro safety, whose interception return for a touchdown was pivotal in Green Bay’s Super Bowl XLV win over Pittsburgh.
The parallels between Dawson and Collins are vast. Both hail from Cross City, Fla., and starred at Dixie County High School. At 5-foot-10, 208 pounds, Dawson’s measurables are nearly identical to Collins, who played at 5-11, 207.