Dermontti Dawson
Encyclopedia
Dermontti Farra Dawson is a former American football
center
in the National Football League
. He played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
He attended Bryan Station High School
in Lexington, where he was a nationally-ranked track and field performer in the discus
and shot put
. During his junior year, he joined the football
team as a favor to his friends, where he was successful as a guard
. Although he had still planned to attend college on a track scholarship, recruiters at the University of Kentucky
convinced him to attend on a football scholarship.
Dawson was picked by the Steelers in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft
, and played on the offensive line alongside Hall of Famer
Mike Webster, from whom he took over the role of starting
center
the next year. He is the only player to have played in the two most lopsided games in the Browns–Steelers rivalry, getting his first career start at center in the Steelers 51-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns
at home (still the worst loss for the Steelers in franchise history), but was victorious in the Steelers 43-0 win against the Browns in Cleveland ten years later, in the Browns' first game in four years
.
He soon became one of the most respected players among the Steelers, and one of the best in the league at his position. His friendly demeanor earned him the nickname Ned Flanders
, after the character from The Simpsons
.
Dawson was named to seven straight Pro Bowl
s from 1992 to 1998 and was a six-time AP
First Team All-Pro
. In 1993, he was named co-AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year by the NFLPA and in 1996 he was named the NFL Alumni’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. He played in 170 consecutive games, the second most in Steelers history, until severe hamstring
injuries forced him to sit out nine games in 1999 and seven more games in 2000. Dawson was released by the Steelers following the 2000 season partly due to these injuries and partly due to salary cap
reasons, but opted to retire rather than trying to play for another team.
Dawson lives in Lexington, where he is a real estate developer. He is on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, the University of Kentucky. He is married, with two children.
Although the Steelers do not officially retire numbers, Pittsburgh has not reissued Dawson's number 63 jersey since his retirement. Dawson was one of twenty-five semi-finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2005, his first year of eligibility, as well as in 2006, 2007. He was one of seventeen finalists in 2008 and 2009.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
He attended Bryan Station High School
Bryan Station High School
Bryan Station High School, founded in 1958, is a high school within the Fayette County Public Schools system in Lexington, Kentucky. During the 2006-2007 school year, students were moved to their newly built school known as Bryan Station High. The school was named for Bryan Station, a 18th century...
in Lexington, where he was a nationally-ranked track and field performer in the discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
. During his junior year, he joined the football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team as a favor to his friends, where he was successful as a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
. Although he had still planned to attend college on a track scholarship, recruiters at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
convinced him to attend on a football scholarship.
Dawson was picked by the Steelers in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, and played on the offensive line alongside Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
Mike Webster, from whom he took over the role of starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
the next year. He is the only player to have played in the two most lopsided games in the Browns–Steelers rivalry, getting his first career start at center in the Steelers 51-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at home (still the worst loss for the Steelers in franchise history), but was victorious in the Steelers 43-0 win against the Browns in Cleveland ten years later, in the Browns' first game in four years
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...
.
He soon became one of the most respected players among the Steelers, and one of the best in the league at his position. His friendly demeanor earned him the nickname Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
, after the character from The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
Dawson was named to seven straight Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s from 1992 to 1998 and was a six-time AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
First Team All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
. In 1993, he was named co-AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year by the NFLPA and in 1996 he was named the NFL Alumni’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. He played in 170 consecutive games, the second most in Steelers history, until severe hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injuries forced him to sit out nine games in 1999 and seven more games in 2000. Dawson was released by the Steelers following the 2000 season partly due to these injuries and partly due to salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
reasons, but opted to retire rather than trying to play for another team.
Dawson lives in Lexington, where he is a real estate developer. He is on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, the University of Kentucky. He is married, with two children.
Although the Steelers do not officially retire numbers, Pittsburgh has not reissued Dawson's number 63 jersey since his retirement. Dawson was one of twenty-five semi-finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2005, his first year of eligibility, as well as in 2006, 2007. He was one of seventeen finalists in 2008 and 2009.