Sean Dawkins, a former NFL wide receiver who spent the majority of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, died earlier this week, according to multiple reports. He was 52 years old. The cause of death has not been revealed, but Colts owner Jim Irsay reacted to the news on social media.
“Rest in peace, Sean Dawkins,” Irsay wrote. “I am shocked and saddened. My prayers and condolences to Sean’s family.” Dawkins was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played for the Colts from 1993 to 1997 and caught 251 passes for 3,511 yards and 12 touchdowns in 77 games. In 1998, Dawkins played for the New Orleans Saints and finished with 53 receptions for 823 yards and one touchdown. Dawkins spent the next two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2001, which was his final NFL season. His best season was in 1999 with the Seahawks, catching 58 passes for 992 yards and seven touchdowns.
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One of Dawkins’ most notable games was in 1995 when he caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from then-Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh to help the team beat the San Diego Chargers in the Wild Card playoff game. In nine NFL seasons, Dawkins caught 445 passes for 6,291 years and 25 touchdowns.
“Another one of my teammates, Sean Dawkins has passed away at age 52,” former Colts safety Dr. Derwin Gray wrote on social media. “Sean and I were in the Colts 1993 Draft Class. He was one of the first big WR in the NFL at 6’5, 220. He was elegant, such a marvelous football player. Tough day.”
Dawkins played college football at the University of California and was named a consensus All-American in 1992. During his final season with the Golden Bears, Dawkins caught 65 passes for 1,070 yards and 14 touchdowns, which was a school record at the time. He recorded 31 receiving touchdowns in his career at Cal, which was also a school record.
In 1999, Dawkins talked to the Seattle Times about the death of his mother. “I miss my mother to death right now because there ain’t nobody else in my life outside of my grandfather, and he just went into the hospital,” he said. “I was thinking about leaving (Seattle yesterday) morning, but I called back and he’s feeling a little bit better.”
