THE COLONY, Texas — As the first day of the eighth annual offensive line masterminds summit wrapped up, all eyes in the COSM Dallas dome hall turned to the Bills’ Dion Dawkins. Perennial Pro Bowler and recent retiree Terron Armstead, moderating a panel of Hall of Fame linemen, took a moment to shout out Buffalo’s left tackle for spearheading the campaign that led to the creation of the “Protector of the Year.”
Beginning this season, the award will be presented annually at “NFL Honors” to the league’s top offensive lineman.
The room — filled with O-line greats past and present, in addition to rising stars at both the college and NFL levels, plus coaches and talent evaluators — broke out into applause. Standing in the corner, Dawkins took it all in, busting out a wide smile.
“It was something that was mandatory for football,” Dawkins said of the award.
Dawkins has been Josh Allen’s main protector since the QB entered the NFL in 2018. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
The Bills’ four-time Pro Bowl left tackle told me about the “multiyear” campaign he led to create the honor, which was unveiled by the league in May. The winner will be decided annually by a panel of former offensive linemen: LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Shaun O’Hara, Orlando Pace, Will Shields and Andrew Whitworth. Along with Dawkins, Whitworth played an integral role in advocating for the award.
Dawkins told me that they pushed the lengthy campaign through to the finish line at last season’s Super Bowl. Dawkins, with Hall of Famer Pace at his side for support, approached NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at his Super Bowl party.
“I was like, ‘Rog,’” Dawkins said. “Not one of us could ever say we were the best. We don’t have no trophy to say we’re the best. … We don’t have anything that can show we’re the best offensive lineman during our time for a season. We need that award.
“He’s like, ‘Dion, you’re right. I’m ready to listen. I’m here. Let’s do it.’ So we did it. Call after call after call after call. Meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting. Name [for the award]. This, that — long list of all that stuff. Then we had the press conference. Now, it’s official.”
The Protector of the Year winner will be selected based on skill metrics (e.g. pass block win rate, run block win rate, penalties, sacks allowed), taking into account impact, leadership, durability and strength of opponent as well. Offensive linemen were previously ineligible for most on-field awards.
“Everybody says, ‘He was a great protector.’” Dawkins said. “‘Yeah, he was a great lineman. Yeah, he was a lineman for Jim Kelly. Yeah, he was the lineman for [Donovan] McNabb, Michael Vick,’ somebody like that. But what good is it to play a sport or to do something and not be able to win an award?
“Like, can you imagine if there was no MVP trophy?” he continued. “Can you imagine if there was no passing title? Can you also imagine if there was no sack title? Or no Defensive Player of the Year? Or no Offensive Player of the Year? If there was no NBA MVP, what would LeBron James be? Just another good player.
“As a lineman, I want to know who the best protector is. Who’s the best? And if it’s not me, cool — now, I know where I’m at. Now, I know where I was ranked. Cool, no I can fight for it. Simple as that. Now, the big boys have something to fight for. And I love it.”
Dawkins also discussed his quarterback, Josh Allen. The three-time Pro Bowler now has an NFL MVP award after this past season, but he hasn’t reached a Super Bowl as he enters Year 8. Allen is 0-4 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs, including January’s AFC Championship Game loss to Kansas City.
Allen’s mentality, Dawkins explained, is not the problem in Buffalo.
“Josh is going to be Josh. Josh doesn’t have to do nothing different,” Dawkins told me. “Josh is the best that he can be. The reflection is, everybody around him has to be the best that they can be for us to get over that hump. Of course, everybody is like, ‘Is Josh Allen going to do it for the Buffalo Bills?’ Josh Allen is going to do what he’s been doing, and that’s be great. Now, all of us have to be great with him, consistently. Make every block. Catch every pass. Kick every kick. Run down to make every tackle. Once we do that, the rest is the rest.
“He’s one of them dudes,” he added of Allen. “You can’t compare him to nothing else, man. He walks through, you feel his presence.”
Dawkins made his presence felt at the offensive line masterminds summit, hosted by O-line guru Duke Manyweather and Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson.
Wearing a shirt of himself on Day 1 of the event, Dawkins gave an impromptu speech about his mentality in front of the 200-person room, showing his engaging and confident persona.
“When I walk on the field, I literally say I’m the baddest motherf—er here,” he told the room. ” I don’t give a f—. I’ll tell you, ‘I’ll talk s— and I’ll beat your ass.’”
Dawkins held court at the O-line summit wearing a T-shirt of himself. (Photo courtesy of COSM Dallas)
Entering his 10th season, the 31-year-old Dawkins was one of the handful of greats whom college and younger NFL offensive linemen gravitated to during the summit’s breakout sessions, where players could get advice and wisdom.
“People don’t want to be linemen. People want to be skinny guys,” Dawkins said of his approach to mentorship. “But to make people want to be big guys, you have to be cool and be around big guys, right? You have to stay in the culture.
“Guys are growing up watching music videos,” he continued. “You have to know what the world likes. I enjoy being that for the young guys. They look up to it. They’re like, ‘This dude is cool. He’s normal. He’s not a robot. He’s keeping it real. He’s telling his pros and cons. He’s a normal dude.’”
One who’s not afraid to be himself, taking pride in a big win he secured for the overlooked bodyguards of the NFL.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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