The outpouring of praise for the career of Brian Dawkins has been pretty overwhelming and great to see. The latest comes from Andy Reid, who coached Dawkins for almost a decade and probably knows as much about what he meant to the Eagles as anyone.
"The NFL will miss a player as talented, ferocious, and determined as Brian Dawkins. He was one of the most dedicated and hardest working players I have ever coached. Whether it was on the practice field, the film room or the weight room, Brian always put in the extra hours it took to become the star player that he was. And he transferred all of that and more onto the field on Sundays. He poured everything he could into doing whatever was best for his teammates and this organization. He was the unquestioned leader of our defense. He will go down as one of the greatest Eagles of all-time and I have no doubt we’ll be celebrating his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I wish he, his wife Connie, and his family all of the best during the next phase of their lives."