Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills Offensive Lineman

And now joining us. It's getting a little chilly. It's getting a little chilly in here. Why?

Because the snowman is in the building. From the Buffalo Bills. I don't even like to introduce you as from the Buffalo Bills because I've known you from before then. So, friend of show, friend of life.

Here he is, the great Deion Dawkins. What's up brother? What up Zach? What up? What up? What up?

Zach, Zach, Zach, Zach, Zach. You're loving this stuff. You're a people's person. Like you come to an event like this and you like being here. So you know it.

One day, when my career is over, I find myself here somewhere. You know, this is fun. This is fun. And I'm a people person. So I enjoy talking to people. I enjoy poking at people. I enjoy getting on people's nerves and then rewinding the back and settling that playing field. So I enjoy this stuff.

So there's a lot that we could talk about specifically though with you first. I want to talk about the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Once again, a finalist. I don't even know if you know or not, if you won or you didn't. They find out on Thursday. You just gave me a smirk that makes me feel like you have an idea of something that's going on. Regardless though, I hope on Thursday when that gets announced that it's you. And I know even if it's not you, you'll still be the same person as you've always been since I met you.

I will. And I don't do it for an award. I don't do it for any of that. I do it to have an attempt or have a chance to change your life, to put an extra smile on the face and to just be present and to give somebody a different thought process, maybe in a different situation if they have a bad situation.

That's really what it is. I just like to be present than unpresent, if that's a word. So obviously Dion Dawkins here with us. I saw you when you came to Philly and you lost that game unfortunately to the Philadelphia Eagles. At that moment though, that locker room was, I don't want to say a dark place, but there was a lot of question on what was going to happen with the Buffalo Bills. Then you guys go into the bye week. You're in Kansas City. You beat the Chiefs.

And then here we go. The Buffalo Bills are back and you guys get into the playoffs. You win a playoff game and then you have another performance up against Kansas City where you couldn't get the job done. But I just want to ask you, how did you guys turn this season around?

Because at six and six, it felt like this was just not going to be a playoff team. Yeah, that Eagles game definitely did something to all of us in a way for the better. That Eagles game created grown men.

In a way, it's carved out pieces of creating a champion. And from that one game to the next game, well to that one game, to the bye week, then to the next game, and all the way until the final game of the season, it put us in a position of good faith and a good mindset. But also, we ran the football in a way that we didn't even know we can run the football.

Yeah. And we put it on ourselves. They put it on us that we have to be able to run the football to have a chance to go far and even have a chance to win a championship. So with going that far, running the football definitely creates a swagger, a dominance, and a way of ball that most people don't really want to play because it's very physical, Zach. It's very, very physical. And it takes a strong mind. It takes a strong body. It takes a prepared athlete, a prepared professional to be able to have that attempt to even run the ball that many times and to keep going. And to go into the day after a game and your body is black and blue, and you have an off day, and then you have practice again on Wednesday in full pads. And to be able to just put that helmet on and keep going because I can tell you that a lot of teams could have did it one time, maybe even two times, but when it comes to doing it three, four, five, six, seven times again, you don't see that. I'm just wondering, and you now have made three Pro Bowls. You're starting to get your respect in this league.

We know what the contract was and all of that as well. And a lot of people recognize you as one of the best tackles in football. How much longer do you want to do this? How much longer do you want to keep on playing?

That's a good question, Zach. Because there's the physical grind of this and the mental grind of this. It wears on a person, dude. Yeah, man.

I have a lot of things that I still want to do. The world isn't talking about me like how they talk about Trent. And I'm real with that. I'm real with that. And I understand that.

And that's something that I want. You know, I want people to say that's the best left tackle in the NFL and say it confidently, which people do. And I'm thankful that they do.

They do say it. But then you also have the counter question of, so what about Trent Williams? Like, nobody can ever counter that question with asking that to Trent. And I respect Trent for that. And I respect the vet, the leader of this for that. And, you know, Trent has something that every offensive lineman wants. And that's the top of that hill, the top of that castle. So that's what we're all pushing for. So I don't know. It could be four years, could be five more years. I'm planning on dominating for years to come.

So people know when it comes to duck. Well, I think after that Cowboys game, when you were Michael or in the blind side in the scene where he dumps the kid right off the football field into the dumpster 30 yards down the field, I was going nuts during that. My phone has blown up with you for two things.

When you caught the two touchdowns, but the day you, whoever you took for a ride on the Cowboys, I don't think I've ever got more texts about you. Well, that's a good thing. I'm blessed that they can, that you're even saying that Zach, you know, now you know me, the only thing that I hope is to do it again is to do it again and to get it done.

But honestly though, maybe I'm reaching, but I like to shoot for the stars. Right. You know, they put that scene in Michael Orr's little in documentary in high school when he was in high school, that happened in the NFL. So, you know, I'm, I'm blessed and thankful that Coach Rule taught us to finish and my Buffalo coaches taught us to finish and I just played into the whistle, man. So also, when you were talking about Trent Williams, I remember there was a time we were in Philly and we went out for dinner and you were just, this was right when you got out of college and you were getting ready for the draft and you met up with Trent Williams when he was in town. You guys are close, right?

Yes, we are. I seen Trent yesterday. Oh yeah. How has he kind of been a mentor to you? It's everything. He's just big dog, man. He's literally just big dog. He lets me know how to stay level with success, how to be a better player and how to control my situation.

You know, when the world is talking about the mass of just focusing on individual tools, whether it's getting out of your kick set or punching with one hand first and then gathering with two or something like that, Trent keeps it real. And for anybody that can just be honest when we live in a world full of yes, man or liars, that's all I'm really, could ever be thankful for. He's honest. And with me, like Deion, look, like if you're pushing for it, like you're doing good, but you need a little more. And the only thing missing from his hall of fame eventual resume right now is the Lombardi. And you know what? So many storylines you talked this week, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, you know, just going on and on.

Trent Williams wins a championship on Sunday. Man, how would that make you feel and what response would it elicit from you? Man, it would mean everything. I might be sad, truly.

I might be sad in a way, and I'm going to put light on this right here, Zach. For a guy like Trent, 99 overall in Madden, been the best left tackle in the league for at least eight plus years, maybe nine, 10 plus years, whatever. To be the best athlete on the football field and to never even have the opportunity to win an MVP, it's crazy to me. Wow, it's crazy that he should have just as much MVP trophies as Pat Mahomes.

How about that? He should have a trench warfare general award that sits on his counter. He can look at and say, I'm the best and I've tackled for a reason. And that's what I want for a guy like him, because even though he's missing that in the bar, he's going to be the best.

A guy like him, because even though he's missing that in the body, but he's missing some accolades that should have been there. Well, you know, I love you. We got to bounce. The show's over. This is how we end the show. It's with the snowman, Dion Dawkins. Oh, look at that. Nice little nail polish right there. I know that's your baby girl that got you. When something happens to your car, you might say, No!

My car! But what you really need to say is something that can actually help. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. And just like that, State Farm is there to help you file your claim right on the State Farm mobile app. So just remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm, Bloomington, Illinois.