Dawkins A Special Player

The Eagles needed Sunday's win over Washington desperately, and when a team is desperate, crazy things happen.

Crazy things like a six-time Pro Bowl safety covering kickoffs.

After Brian Westbrook's incredible 57-yard touchdown potentially saved Philadelphia's season, Brian Dawkins didn't want to see the kickoff coverage unit cough up the lead. That's why when they took the field to kick the ball back to the Redskins, Dawkins was with them - for, according to his memory - the first time in seven or eight years.

"That was just something that was a spur of the moment type thing; something that I wanted to do to help out," Dawkins said. "If I made the play, great; if I didn't, then hopefully I'd be out there to help the guys out and hopefully not allow a big play to happen."

Dawkins said that after deciding he was going to cover the kick, there was no way he was staying on the sideline.

"I just felt like it was something I had to do and wanted to do. I didn't really ask to go in, I said that I was going in," Dawkins said. "That's not a slight of the coaches or like I'm bullying anybody, but that's just the way I felt. I wanted to be out there, so that's what happened."

What if one of the coaches had tried to keep him on the sideline?

"Honestly, I probably would have snuck out there," he said.

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