Blessed By the Best by Brian Dawkins- Review, Guest Post

Blessed by the Best: My Journey to Canton and Beyond by Brian Dawkins, Michael Bradley (Contributor)

Publisher: Camino Books, Inc; 1st edition (August 30, 2021)
Category: Memoir, Football Biographies, Sports, Inspirational
Tour dates: June 27-July 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-1680980257
Available in Print and ebook, 256 pages

  

Description Blessed By the Best by Brian Dawkins

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996, Dawkins fought to elevate not only his own game but that of his entire team. He sweat, bled, and dominated through sixteen season in the NFL all the way into the Hall of Fame, but not for a moment did he believe his strength alone brought him that glory. Every step of the way the Lord had his back. From coaches that wanted to break him to defeats and bitter lessons in humility, his career is a testament to his faith and an homage to the countless people that helped him along the way.

In the wake of his success, Dawkins comes forward to describe his journey to become one the best safeties in the NFL. Physical training wouldn’t cut it. Blessed by the Best follows Dawkins trials to train his mind and faith along with his skill. As a nervous kid from Jacksonville, he never dreamed of one day standing in front of a crowd to accept that golden jacket. But one way or another, he made it. Dawkins tells his story straight, unafraid of exposing his own weaknesses; his over competitive spirit that takes losses to hard, the tunnel vision that estranged him from his kids, and the self-doubt that plagued much of his early years. Triumphs, pitfalls, love, and struggles Dawkins shares them all, not for himself, but in gratitude of those who have helped him along the way.

“I had been blessed by the best. First, that meant the Lord, who has blessed me with so much. It also meant all those people and things around me that I believe were the best for me. Maybe they weren’t the best for somebody else. Your best may not be my best. That’s fine. Everything that has happened to me has been to bring out the best in me. Even the toughest, hardest times in my life were the best things for me. If I hadn’t gone through them, maybe I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

“This is not a football book. It has football in it, but this is a life tool,” Dawkins told Heavy. “These are things that I have gone through in my life, that others have taught me.”

Excerpt Blessed By the Best by Brian Dawkins

"On the Decision to Walk Away from the Game"

 It’s always tough for an athlete to retire, because even if he has played a lot of years, like I did, he’s still relatively young. I was only 38 and entering the prime of my life. But it wasn’t my prime on the field. But it was cool, because I was someone who could say that I was blessed to be able to decide when I was done. I had some teams who wanted me to sign with them for a year, to be a mentor and to play a specific role on the field, but I didn’t want to do that. I chose not to play anymore. For a lot of people, it’s not a choice when they shut it down. It’s injuries, or they’re not wanted anymore. They feel like they should still be playing, that it was somebody else’s fault. For me, it was nobody else’s fault. I said, “That’s it for me.”

 This was less about the injury. Instead, it was more that the desire to put forth the effort needed to get ready for a season, and the joy I felt going into the games, weren’t there like they used to be. When I was young, I felt there was nothing I couldn’t do on a foot- ball field. In my eyes, my ability to make plays was limitless. There was no position I could be in on the field that was a problem for me. As I got older, especially in the last couple years of my career, I knew that there were certain situations that weren’t good for me to be in. It’s not that I definitely couldn’t succeed. It was just that getting to the point where I could be successful took a whole lot of effort, and there was no guarantee I was going to get it done.

 In the last couple years of my career, I had to think a lot more on the field. Positioning myself and playing the angles were more important than ever for me. It wasn’t always fun or successful. It was more like work. And I wasn’t sure how my body was going to hold up from week to week. I could feel great one week, and all of a sudden, things weren’t so good that next week. Then I could be great again and then not great. There was no way I could tell people whether I would be clicking on all cylinders week to week.

 It wasn’t about injuries. I’m talking about those signals from the brain to the body, that quick-twitch muscle reaction. If I had to do something in the moment, I might not be able to do it. There were times when I didn’t have my legs up under me. Other times I could, because I had my juices really kicking, and my quick-twitch was really activated. In those circumstances, I knew I was probably going to have a good day. When that didn’t happen, there was possible trouble.

 © Blessed by the Best by Brian Dawkins (Pages 219-220)

 Review Blessed By the Best by Brian Dawkins

Review by Suzie

“It may seem strange to some people who hear me talk about how hard I work, but schoolwork was different than getting into shape and handling my business on the field. I understood that and knew how to push myself to get better and better as a player. I could run those extra sprints. I could lift more and heavier weights. I could watch more film, which was reel to reel in high school. I had the physical tools and knew how to get better.”

One of the most enjoyable memoirs that I have read to date! In his book, 'Blessed By the Best: My Journey to Canton and Beyond,' Brian Dawkins talks about his journey to the NFL hall of fame—and everything that he faced along the way.

After growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Dawkins was given a scholarship to Clemson University in South Carolina, where he would later be drafted by the NFL. Dawkins talks about his childhood, family and, most importantly, his faith, in this tell all memoir about his fascinating life.

Overcoming academic struggles, a childhood stutter, and racism, Dawkins relied on his numerous mentors throughout life and his faith in God to help guide him to the place that he wanted to be. Decades later, after retiring, Dawkins would later become an NFL hall of fame recipient-- an honor he thanks God for.

There are many lessons to be learned in 'Blessed By the Best.' Dawkins writes about his struggles with both wisdom and the tenacity of someone who has seen it all and faced it down. With this book, it's clear that Dawkins only wishes to share his journey to help anyone who may be going through similar things. This is a five-star book and a definite TBR add for all readers! 

About Brian Dawkins

Brian Dawkins entered the NFL in the second round of the 1996 draft and has since achieved 1,131 tackles, 37 achieved passes, 26 recorded sacks and 19 fumble recoveries, which has earned him a place in the NFL Hall of Fame. Out of his 16 career seasons, Dawkins spent 13 with the Eagles before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2008. Despite the team change, Dawkins still holds several team records for the Eagles, and as of 2012 his jersey number 20 has become one of only nine to be retired in the history of the franchise.

Website: https://briandawkins.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briandawkinssr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianDawkins

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