Eagles fans should be in Canton this weekend to celebrate Brian Dawkins' induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Between his statistics, accolades, impact on the game, and the way he's revered, Dawkins deserved to be a first-ballot, no-doubt-about-it selection. But as we all know, Dawkins was egregiously passed over.
Eliot Harrison from NFL.com unveiled his ballot of favorites to land in Canton over the next five years. Dawkins was No. 1 on his list.
"Putting Dawkins first on my faux ballot is intentional - he's the most deserving," Harrison wrote. "Dawkins has already waited one year. Given that he is a safety, a position to which the voters have demonstrated a decades-long aversion, he might have to sit next to the phone a bit longer in reality. But that's bunk. All of it, man.
"Forget that Dawkins was a four-time first-team All-Pro, the best player at his position in the early 2000s, or on the All-Decade Team for the 2000s, and remember what he wasn't: a distraction. Remarkably, Dawkins isn't considered a shoo-in for the Hall despite compiling 91 impact plays over his career (37 interceptions, 28 forced fumbles, and 26 sacks)."
Too bad Harrison isn't a voter.
A look back at the storied career of Brian Dawkins, who announced his retirement ...
The Falcons will certainly remember Brian Dawkins' impact on the 2004 NFC title game
Where there's smoke, there's Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins finally gets to hoist the NFC Championship trophy
Brian Dawkins shows the fans at Lincoln Financial Field the Halas Trophy
Weapon X prepares to emerge from the tunnel
Brian Dawkins flew to strip the ball from Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
Brian Dawkins soared through the air to make the interception
Brian Dawkins snares the interception with a tip-toe move in the playoffs against the Bucs
Dawkins celebrates the big play against the Panthers
The Eagles stunned the Bears to reach the NFC title game in 2001
The guns are on full display after Dawkins comes up with the turnover
A beautiful over-the-shoulder interception against Dallas
Dawkins celebrates the acrobatic grab
Dawkins and the Eagles celebrate a turnover against Michael Vick's Falcons in the 2004 NFC title game
Dawkins' tackle of Daunte Culpepper keeps the Vikings out of the end zone
Dawkins celebrates yet another turnover
A young Brian Dawkins poses for his headshot
In case you didn't know, it's B-Dawk
Brian Dawkins arrives in Jacksonville for Super Bowl XXXIX
A large poster of Dawkins hangs at his alma mater Raines High School in Jacksonville
Dawkins and his Eagles teammates at the Pro Bowl following the 2004 season
Dawkins finished his Eagles career with 34 interceptions, tied for first in team history
Dawkins stays in bounds to get the pick against the Giants
Dawkins interacts with kids at the annual Eagles Youth Partnership Playground Build
Dawkins was a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Dawkins in Super Bowl XXXIX
Down goes Manning!
Brian Dawkins was named by the fans to the 75th Anniversary Team in 2007
