‘That’ll forever be how people see me’: Brian Dawkins embodies Weapon X

Brian Dawkins’ pregame ritual left a long-lasting imprint on Eagles fans. “B-Dawk’s” energy roused crowds on game day when he came out of the locker room bear-crawling onto Lincoln Financial Field.

The Hall of Fame safety’s furious spirit caught the attention of players, fans, and the media, which compared him to a leopard or a lion searching for its prey — in this case, a wide receiver or quarterback. He later became referred to as “Weapon X”, a Marvel comic code name in the Wolverine series.

“I was a huge fan of Wolverine,” Dawkins said. “I was blessed to be able to kind of use some of that energy he displayed in the comic books on the field. That kind of animal-like instinct.”

After 16 years in the NFL — 13 with the Eagles and three with the Denver Broncos — Dawkins collaborated with Marvel, and, for the first time, he shares the cover with Wolverine in a limited-edition comic book series created by artist Carlos Pacheco.

Growing up, Dawkins was infatuated with the X-Men series. Dawkins compiled a collection of comic books, would read the comic section in the Sunday paper, and recorded the cartoon series on his VCR. Becoming Weapon X in the NFL gave Dawkins a chance to live out his childhood fantasies.

“There’s the inner depths of the Wolverine people don’t know,” said Dawkins, 48. “You just think he’s a cartoon character, but it lets you see an individual that has a lot of flaws to it. [An] Individual that sometimes has trouble controlling his temper, his anger, and I had those issues at times, so there’s a lot of parallels between the character and myself.

“But, at the same time, when it’s time to fight, you’ve wanted him on your side because he’s never gonna hold back. Even if it’s bad odds, you want him on your side, and he’s always gonna fight for those that he loves, so that reminds me of myself.”

When Dawkins transformed into Weapon X, he said his mind would go numb, releasing a part of his personality nobody had seen. His alter ego allowed him to let go of the anger he kept contained.

His game day behavior carried over into other aspects of his life, whether that be pushing his teammates, whom he referred to as “cats,” beyond their limit or becoming fixated on his own mental capacity, which at times turned him into his own worst enemy.

In Dawkins’ Hall of Fame speech in 2018, he told the crowd there was a purpose for his pain. He said during his rookie season with the Eagles in 1996, he suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts.

“When you see me crawling like that, you see me acting a fool, that’s some of the energy I let out from being bottled up, the chip on my shoulder,” Dawkins said.

But it was Weapon X that freed those emotions and helped Dawkins lead the Eagles to five NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl berth. Dawkins accomplished feats he didn’t expect, like being the first NFL player in history to record a sack, interception, fumble recovery, and a touchdown reception in the same game.

“Understanding the power of your imaginations, and all of those things, has blessed me tremendously in my life,” Dawkins said. “I didn’t know a whole lot about what I was doing when I was growing up, but even into my young adult years, and as I’ve gotten older, I recognize that many of the things that I’ve gone on to do with my life have come from my imagination.”

Dawkins became the first player in league history to record at least 30 interceptions and 30 forced fumbles in his career. Fans were heartbroken when the nine-time Pro Bowler announced his retirement in 2012. But since then, Dawkins has reconnected with his family, written a book, Blessed by the Best: My Journey to Canton and Beyond, and become a mental health advocate.

Dawkins described the Wolverine character as a blunt hard worker who is outgoing but can be a loner. Dawkins said those qualities resonate with him — and the Philly community.

“There’s a lot of him that absolutely fits Philadelphia,” Dawkins said. “Every once in a while, he loses his temper and may do or say things that he later regrets.”

Even though he doesn’t bear-crawl onto the field or jump over offensive linemen anymore, Dawkins wants the Weapon X moniker to sick with him for the rest of his life.

“When people see me, they don’t call me B-Dawk, they don’t call me Wolverine, they’ll call me Weapon X,” Dawkins said. “That’ll forever be how people see me, so I’m kind of attacking life with that same ferocity on this side of retirement.”