Think about the last quarter-century of Philadelphia sports. Is there a more beloved athlete than Brian Dawkins? His induction this Saturday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a national and historical validation of what everyone around here has accepted as gospel for years: that Dawkins’ intelligence and passion and physical talent made it damn near impossible for anyone — teammates, coaches, even the fickle and demanding and often-unreasonable sports fans in this town — to criticize him.
“If you ask guys about Dawk, the only reply you would get would be complete reverence,” former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said in a phone interview.