Antonio Dawkins has his eyes on the prize going into his Senior season at Bluefield College, an NAIA program in Bluefield, Virginia. He has nothing but focus and determination to not only be great, but to be the best at his craft. This being said, he has one goal this season, and that is to bring home all the hardware, including All-American, All-Conference, and being named the NAIA Player of the Year.
Last season, his Junior year, Dawkins finished with 27 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 7 pass deflections, 1 interception, 1 defensive touchdown, and 1 forced fumble in only 8 games played due to injury. This season has to be different than last to accomplish the goals he is striving for. The main keys for Dawkins are to stay healthy and to focus on his weaknesses to make them strengths. Some of the little things he has been working on include, reacting to the ball a split second faster, reading plays sooner, and being alert at all times. That one split second can determine the difference between a good player and a great player, and Dawkins wants to be great.
This offseason, Dawkins has been putting in serious work getting his body ready for a hard hitting season. He has been working with Lily D, the owner of DSA, focusing on foot placement, how to move correctly, mobility, removing any false steps from his game, and all the other defensive back tools that he will need to to excel on the football field. During his training sessions, he has been clocked at 4.38 hand time and has recorded a 39 inch vertical. These feats will surely keep eyes on him this season.
On the football field, where everything you train and work for matters the most, Dawkins feels he is a game changer and prides himself on his grind and ability to adapt. This pride ultimately comes from his game day strengths, which include his speed, agility, ability to react, being a student of the game, and the drive to want more. You have to want more if you want to make it to the big show after college ball, and that is exactly what Dawkins plans on doing. After the season he is looking forward to take his talents to the National Football League.
