Nick Dawkins knows that few things in life are a slam dunk.
Dawkins is the son of former NBA star Darryl Dawkins, who died from a heart attack when his son was just 14 years old. His father's death forced Nick to step up for his mother and three sisters, and as he kept growing in high school, Dawkins turned his attention from lacrosse to football.
The undrafted 6-foot-4, 305-pound center blossomed in college and played side-by-side at Penn State next to guard Vega Ioane, Baltimore's first-round pick. Ioane and Dawkins have been reunited on Baltimore's 90-man roster, giving the undrafted rookie a chance to realize his NFL dream.
The Ravens haven't decided on a starting center, and they didn't draft one. There's competition from other veterans and the Ravens could still make more moves at the position. Still, Dawkins has an opportunity, and like his late father, he plans to take his best shot.
"I keep my father's spirit alive every day, people asking me about him, people saying I remind them of him," Dawkins said. "He was a good person who touched a lot of lives."
Darryl Dawkins was the fifth-overall pick in the 1975 NBA draft, bypassing college to join the Philadelphia 76ers straight out of high school. During Dawkins' 15-year NBA career, the powerfully built 6-foot-11 center was best known for his ferocious dunks that shattered backboards on several occasions.
The younger Dawkins joins the Ravens determined to shatter any perception that he's not good enough to make the roster or compete for a starting job. He wasn't heavily recruited out of Parkland High School in Allentown, Pa., but he became a starter his final two seasons with the Nittany Lions. That experience gives Dawkins confidence. He doesn't view himself as a long shot to make the roster, but as someone who will prove that he belongs.
"I'm used to being the low man on the totem pole," Dawkins said. "When I came to Penn State, I was the lowest-rated recruit in the class. People were insinuating that I should go somewhere smaller because I wasn't going to make it at a big-time school like that.
"I understand how these things go. When people are picked higher, they want to get their investment out of those people. You have to give them a reason to put you on the totem pole."
Dawkins thought he had a 50-50 chance to be drafted, but he didn't stress when he was bypassed. His agent advised him that signing with the Ravens would be a good move. Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Corey Bullock are among those competing for the starting job in Baltimore, but it's wide open after Tyler Linderbaum's departure in free agency.
Dawkins already has a connection with Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Dwayne Ledford, who tried to recruit Dawkins when Ledford was at Louisville. Ioane and Dawkins have an obvious connection from their Penn State days on the offensive line, working off each other's blocks.
Before his games at Penn State, Dawkins would often watch highlight videos from his father's NBA career to give himself pre-game inspiration. He comes from a family of athletes. One of his cousins is Brian Dawkins, the Pro Football Hall of Fame former safety with the Philadelphia Eagles. Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is his father's godson and a close friend.
However, Dawkins is trying to make his own mark as a professional athlete, and he arrived at rookie camp with a serious attitude.
"When you lose a parent when you're younger, it forces you to mature," Dawkins said. "You kind of lose your childhood. Things that used to be funny aren't. Things that you used to be other people's concerns are now your concerns.
"If I wasn't as invested in my family's success as I am, I probably would've accepted mediocrity. But I know I have potential. I know, they have Bullock, Gwyn, and Pinter here – guys that can ball. But why not me? I believe I'm going to play here. That's what I believe."
