Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Doug Dawson
View on WikipediaDouglas Arlin Dawson (born December 27, 1961) is an American former professional football guard who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) in the 1980s and 1990s.[1][2] Dawson played college football for the Texas Longhorns, receiving All-American and Academic All-American honors as a senior, and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft. He also played for the Houston Oilers and Cleveland Browns.
Key Information
Biography
[edit]Dawson was born in Houston, Texas. He graduated from and played football for Memorial High School and helped them reach their first and only state championship game that year, which they lost to Temple.[3][4]
In 1997 he was named to Texas Football Magazine's All-Time Texas High School Football Team.[5]
College career
[edit]He attended the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, where he was an offensive lineman for the Texas Longhorns football team from 1980 to 1983.
His freshman year the Longhorns went to the Astro Bluebonnet Bowl.
In 1981, he played on a Longhorn team that upset Alabama in the Cotton Bowl and finished ranked #2/#4.
In 1982, he helped the team reach the Sun Bowl and finished ranked #17/#18.
In 1983, his senior year, he was a team co-captain. He helped the Longhorns get a #2 ranking, win the Southwest Conference and play in the Cotton Bowl. They lost by a one point when a win would have earned them the National Championship, but instead finished #5. He received the American Airlines Spirit Award, was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, an Academic All-American and was a Lombardi Trophy finalist.[6]
After finishing his career at Texas he played in the 1984 Hula Bowl and received a degree in petroleum engineering.[6][7]
In 1997 he was named to the Longhorn Hall of Honor.[6]
Pro career
[edit]St. Louis Cardinals
[edit]The St. Louis Cardinals selected Dawson in the second round (45th pick overall) in the 1984 NFL draft, and he played for the Cardinals from 1984 to 1986.[8]
In 1984 he was a back-up on an offensive line that enabled Neil Lomax to throw for 4,614 yards, 2nd most in the NFL, and make the Pro Bowl.[9]
In 1985 he was a full-time starter.
In 1986, he ruptured his Achilles' tendon in the first game of the season and missed the rest of the season.
In August of 1987 he failed his preseason physical and aggravated his tendon during rehab. He had to have surgery to remove a bone from around his tendon and would miss the 1987 season too. Calculating that he would more than likely never play again, the Cardinals waived him. He swore he would prove them wrong.[10]
He spent the next three years selling insurance and had two more surgeries to recover.[11]
Houston Oilers
[edit]In 1990, Dawson decided he was ready for a comeback so he contacted the Houston Oilers and they gave him a tryout.[11] They signed him in May.[12] He made the team and played back-up for most of the season, but took over as starter for the last game of the season and in the playoff game.[13] At the end of the season, he signed a 3 year contract with the Oilers.[11]
For the next three seasons he was a starter for all but 6 games, helped them make the playoffs every year and win the AFC Central in both 1991 and 1993. At the end of the 1994 season he became a free agent and was signed by the Cleveland Browns hours after they learned that Mike Schad would require surgery on a tendon in his arm.[14]
Cleveland Browns
[edit]Dawson played his final season for the Cleveland Browns. In a pre-season game he was poked in the eye, causing him to miss the first two games of the season.[15] Due to a rash of injuries, Dawson played center for the first time in his life in a September game against the Colts.[16] After seeing limited play in the first 9 games of the season, Dawson became the starter following an injury to Wally Williams and he started for the rest of the season.[17] He helped the Browns make it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in his final game.
He became an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, but was not signed by another team.
During his NFL career, he played in a total of 106 NFL games with 70 starts and 3 fumble recoveries, as well as 7 playoff games.
Later life
[edit]Following his retirement from the NFL, he became an insurance and investment salesman. Later he became a wealth management advisor in the Houston area for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company where he ranked in the company's top 20 all-time.[18] After several years, he formed his own company Dawson Financial Services.[7]
In 2004 he was elected to the Piney Point Village City Council where he served until 2008.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Doug Dawson Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
- ^ "Doug Dawson". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
- ^ Young, Matt (2020-04-03). "Best pro athlete from every Houston area high school". HoustonChronicle.com. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
- ^ "1979 State Championship Conference 4A" (PDF). Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ "Texas Football All-Time Team". The Victoria Advocate. 15 December 1997. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "Texas Football History and Honors" (PDF). Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ a b c Bush, Candace (7 July 2005). "Going from plays to policy, ex-football player enjoying the life of a councilman". Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ "1984 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
- ^ "Neil Lomax". Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ "Dawson Apparently Done as Member of Grid Cards". The Southeast Missourian. 9 August 1987. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "Former UT Football Player Makes Comeback with Oilers". The Alcalde. Austin, TX: Emmis Communications. September–October 1991. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ "Oilers Sign Four". The Bryan Times. 4 May 1990. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ "Doug Dawson 1990 Game Log". Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ "Browns Sign Lineman Dawson". The Vindicator. 11 August 1994. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ "Wally Williams Keeps His Job". The Vindicator. 15 September 1994. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Browns Overcome Injuries, mistakes to corral the Colts". The Toledo Blade. 26 September 1994. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Offensive Line Change to Become Long Term". The Vindicator. 9 November 1994. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Doug Dawson, Wealth Management Advisor - Houston, TX 77056 | Northwestern Mutual". www.northwesternmutual.com. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
Doug Dawson
View on GrokipediaEarly life
Birth and family background
Doug Dawson was born on December 27, 1961, in Houston, Texas.[1] No further details about his parents or extended family background are available from reliable sources.Education and early influences
Doug Dawson graduated from Memorial High School in Houston, Texas.[3] Specific details on earlier influences, such as pre-university experiences or particular inspirations leading to his pursuit of football, are not documented in available sources. Doug Dawson was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round (45th overall) of the 1984 NFL Draft. He played for the Cardinals from 1984 to 1986, appearing in 32 games with 18 starts. After spending the 1987–1989 seasons out of the league, he returned to play for the Houston Oilers from 1990 to 1993, where he appeared in 62 games with 43 starts. He concluded his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns in 1994, appearing in 12 games with 9 starts.[1] Over his eight-season NFL career, Dawson played in 106 regular season games, starting 70, and recovered 3 fumbles. He also appeared in 7 playoff games, starting all 7.[1] After retiring from professional football, Dawson became a private wealth advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Houston, Texas, where he has worked for over 30 years, drawing on lessons from his NFL career to coach clients on financial planning.[4]Personal life
Family and relationships
Doug Dawson has two children: a daughter named Arlin and a son named Ross. As of 2005, he was married to Shannon Dawson.[5] No further details about his current marital status, spouse, or extended family relationships are publicly documented in reliable recent sources.Interests and activities outside work
Little additional detail is publicly available regarding hobbies, volunteer activities, or non-professional pursuits.Recognition and awards
Doug Dawson received several honors during his college football career at the University of Texas from 1980 to 1983. He was named a consensus All-American in 1983, earned first-team All-Southwest Conference honors, received Academic All-American recognition, and served as team co-captain. In 1997, he was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor.[2] During his NFL career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1984–1986), Houston Oilers (1990–1993), and Cleveland Browns (1994), Dawson did not receive major individual awards such as Pro Bowl or All-Pro selections.[1]Filmography
Doug Dawson has no documented acting or crew credits in film or television. He has appeared as himself in various NFL-related television broadcasts during and after his playing career.Television appearances (as self)
- The NFL on CBS (1985, multiple episodes) – Self – St. Louis Cardinals Guard
- NFL Monday Night Football (1985–1993, multiple episodes) – Self – St. Louis Cardinals Guard / Houston Oilers Guard
- The NFL on NBC (1985–1995, multiple episodes) – Self – St. Louis Cardinals Guard / Houston Oilers Guard / Cleveland Browns Guard
- ESPN's Sunday Night Football (1992–1994, multiple episodes) – Self – Houston Oilers Guard
- TNT Sunday Night Football (1993, 1 episode) – Self – Houston Oilers Guard
- A Football Life (2013, 1 episode) – Self
- 1984 NFL Draft (1984) – Self – 45th Overall Pick