Also named 'Professional Athlete of the Year in South Carolina'

Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins was elected to the Clemson University Athletic Hall of Fame and chosen as the Professional Athlete of the Year by the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, it was announced Tuesday.

"What a tremendous honor it is to be elected to the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and be named Pro Athlete of the Year for South Carolina," Dawkins said. "The Lord has blessed me to play this game at a high level for a long time and to represent Clemson, the school that I really appreciate giving me an opportunity, and South Carolina, the state where I had a great time during my college career."

Dawkins and seven others with Clemson ties will be inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 4, and will be honored at halftime of the Tigers' season opener against Middle Tennessee State University the following day. He was a three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection during his four-year career at Clemson from 1992-95, and his seven Pro Bowl selections are more than any former player in school history in addition to representing the fourth-highest total by a safety in NFL annals.

On Monday, May 18, Dawkins will be honored as the Professional Athlete of the Year at the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame banquet at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia, S.C. He started all 16 games and had 142 tackles for the Eagles in 2008, earning Pro Bowl honors and helping the club advance to the NFC Championship Game for the fifth time in his 13 years with Philadelphia.