Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins has faced his fair share of elite pass rushers throughout his eight-year career. The four-time Pro Bowler has gone against the likes of Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Khalil Mack, Trey Hendrickson, and many more players who could get to the quarterback at will. He knows what a good pass rusher looks like, which makes his recent comments to Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker that much more impactful.
Last week, the Bills came into the Chicagoland area for their joint practice and preseason game with the Bears. Coming with them was HBO’s “Hard Knocks” crew, one year after they followed the Bears themselves around training camp. The HBO series was back at Halas Hall last Friday and happened to catch a very wholesome moment between Dawkins and Booker at practice.
“Bro, you drastically look different than everybody out here,” Dawkins told Booker in between drills. “So you have to play different than everybody out here. If they ain’t doing all that acrobatic [expletive], you got to be the one to do it. Because you’re their spark.”
Booker was indeed a spark for the Bears’ defensive line coming into the week. He had a monster performance against the Miami Dolphins in the preseason opener, finishing with three sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in the 24-24 tie. Dawkins noticed him and how he looked during the joint practice, giving him tips on ways he can improve his game. The veteran also made sure he was available to the second-year pass rusher in case he wanted advice. “I’m here; whatever questions you’ve got, ask bro,” he said. “We’re all employees of the NFL, dog.”
The second-year edge rusher was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round out of Kansas as a raw prospect and seems to be turning heads everywhere he goes. Dawkins clearly sees something in him, and it’s good to hear someone like him be willing to coach up a young player.
For his part, Booker once again made impact plays in the preseason game. He finished with two tackles, one for a loss, a sack, and a QB hit prior to exiting early with an injury. Even though the sack didn’t come against Dawkins, who didn’t play, he saw what the young edge rusher can do from the sidelines. Hopefully Booker heeds Dawkins’ advice as he continues to develop at the pro level.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bills Pro Bowl left tackle coaches up Bears DE Austin Booker
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
