Paul Dawson (born January 13, 1993) is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft.
| Personal information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | January 13, 1993 Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Skyline (Dallas) | ||||
| College: | TCU | ||||
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| NFL draft: | 2015 / round: 3 / pick: 99 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
| |||||
Early life
editDawson is from an area in Dallas, Texas called Pleasant Grove. He graduated in 2011 from Skyline High School.[1][2] where he was utilized at wide receiver, helping lead Skyline to a 9–3 overall record as a senior, including a 7–0 district record. Dawson finished the year as a top receiver, and nominated to all-conference in the 5A district.
College career
editWith only a few division one offers as a wide receiver, Dawson decided to attend Trinity Valley Community College instead. There he converted himself to the defense side of the ball, to play linebacker. After showing legitimate potential in his freshman season, he signed to Texas Christian University during his unofficial visit. In 2014, Dawson was named a first team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation as well as USA Today.[3] Dawson was also named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year along with being named the most valuable player for TCU. His senior season included 140 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, and 5 sacks. In addition with being recognized as the top inside linebacker in the 2015 draft class.[4]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
235 lb (107 kg) |
4.83 s | 1.60 s | 2.80 s | 4.49 s | 6.76 s | 28 in (0.71 m) |
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
21 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine and Pro Day[5] | ||||||||||||
Cincinnati Bengals
editDawson was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round (99th overall) in the 2015 NFL draft.[6] Following the selection, Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther compared him to Bengals Pro Bowl linebacker Vontaze Burfict. A projected first round pick entering the draft, Dawson was considered a steal when the Bengals selected him. On September 4, 2016, Dawson was waived by the Bengals and was signed to the practice squad.[7][8] He was promoted to the active roster on December 23, 2016.[9]
On September 2, 2017, Dawson was waived by the Bengals after injuring a bone in his wrist.[10]
Seattle Seahawks
editOn November 14, 2017, Dawson was signed to the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad.[11] He was promoted to the active roster on December 13, 2017.[12]
On April 16, 2018, Dawson re-signed with the Seahawks.[13] He was waived on May 7, 2018.[14]
Saskatchewan Roughriders
editOn September 12, 2018, Dawson was signed to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on September 29, 2018.[15]
Vegas Vipers
editThe Vegas Vipers of the XFL selected Dawson in the 7th round of the 2023 XFL Defensive Front Seven Draft.[16] He was removed from the roster after the 2023 season on July 4, 2023.[17]
References
edit- ^ Paul Dawson. MaxPreps. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ^ Paul Dawson Archived November 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. TCU Horned Frogs Football. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ^ TCU’s Paul Dawson named first-team All-American by Walter Camp Foundation
- ^ TCU's Trevone Boykin, Paul Dawson Named AP Big 12 Players of the Year
- ^ "NFL Draft Scout".
- ^ "2015 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Dehner Jr., Paul. "Bengals waive P.J. Dawson, sign Trey Hopkins, Chykie Brown".
- ^ "Bengals practice squad 2016: Linebacker P.J. Dawson joins Cincinnati's practice squad". September 7, 2016.
- ^ Marcum, Jason (December 23, 2016). "P.J. Dawson promoted to Bengals' 53-man roster". CincyJungle.com.
- ^ Toback, Rebecca (September 2, 2017). "NFL roster cuts 2017: Cincinnati Bengals 53-man roster". CincyJungle.com.
- ^ Boyle, John (November 14, 2017). "Seahawks Make Roster Moves". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018.
- ^ Boyle, John (December 13, 2017). "Seahawks Promote LB Paul Dawson Off Practice Squad, Place Oday Aboushi On Injured Reserve". Seahawks.com.
- ^ Boyle, John (April 16, 2018). "Seahawks Make Roster Moves". Seahawks.com.
- ^ Boyle, John (May 7, 2018). "Seahawks Sign Five Tryout Players From Rookie Minicamp". Seahawks.com.
- ^ "Transactions - CFL.ca". CFL.ca. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ "XFL 2022 Draft Tracker: Live Draft Results and Rosters from Day 1 and Day 2". November 17, 2022.
- ^ "Vegas Vipers Roster". www.xfl.com. Retrieved July 4, 2023.