Dawkins Had to Keep it 100 to be No. 0
Terrell Dawkins knew that he wanted to be the first NC State player to wear jersey No. 0 as soon as he heard that it had been made legal for football by the NCAA this spring.
So he texted coach Dave Doeren and made his request.
The answer was a definite maybe.
"Coach Doeren is a person that you have to earn everything you get here," Dawkins said. "So he said he'd tell me later, to just keep working and doing everything like that."
The redshirt freshman defensive end took the challenge to heart and despite not being able to participate in organized team activities during the offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic, he showed up fo fall camp in shape and ready to impress.
That was good enough for Doeren.
"That's what he wanted," the Wolfpack coach said. "He did a great job in the classroom, he's gained weight and in a really good place mentally, so he earned the right to wear No. 0 for the first time."
It's a right, Dawkins said, that came with a catch.
"He said there's a lot of responsibility having (the No. 0), because (I'm) the first person ever to have it here," the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Concord native said. "He said 'just play as best as you can and be responsible for everything.'"
So far, that's exactly what he's done.
Dawkins, who wore No. 43 in 2019 while seeing action on special teams in four games, has been part of State's regular rotation at defensive end since this year's opener against Wake Forest.
He's started the past two games, wins at Pittsburgh and Virginia, and has recorded a tackle for loss in every game since -- including his first career sack against the Cavaliers last week. He also had a forced fumble in the game.
It's a performance Dawkins said isn't just fueled by his desire to prove himself worthy of the No. 0. He's also determined to live up to the standard set by those that came before him -- standout Wolfpack defensive ends Bradley Chubb, Kentavius Street, Darian Roseboro, James Smith-Williams and Larrell Murchison.
"I just see how great somebody like Bradley Chubb is and it just gives me energy to work even harder," Dawkins said of the Wolfpack's career sacks leader, who currently plays for the NFL's Denver Broncos.
"I know those people that have been here and reached that high level and still continue on a high level. Having people like that in front of me is probably one of the reasons i committed here. Just them being here makes me want to lay better."
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