Former Raines High School star Brian Dawkins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, over the weekend.
WJCT Sports Analyst Cole Pepper said on Monday’s First Coast Connect that Dawkins’ induction speech was moving and powerful, especially when he talked about his battle with depression and his brush with suicidal thoughts.
“That was a bit of a taboo subject in a lot of locker rooms, and in some regards still is. You know, this is a game for “real, tough” men and it’s sometimes looked at as a sign of weakness in a locker room. And to have a hall of famer who’s at the pinnacle of his sport talking about it, I think has a chance to do some real good,” Pepper said.
Forty-three-year old Dawkins graduated from Jacksonville’s Raines High in 1992.
He went on to play for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Denver Broncos in an NFL career that spanned more than 16 seasons.
Hear all of Monday’s First Coast Connect here.
