Dawson Brown, an ex-Bulldog football all-star and  Bethel University All-American is getting his shot at the highest level of professional football as he will be attending a rookie minicamp with the Atlanta Falcons. Brown joins Bethel teammate Kyle Kilgore in recognition, as he  is attending a mincamp with the Minnesota Vikings.

 

 Kilgore, a defensive end, and Brown, a strong safety, where stalwarts on the Bethel defense that helped lead the Royals to an Elite 8 appearance and No. 6/7 rankings in the final polls for NCAA DIII football in 2018.

 

Rookie minicamps give first year players a chance to get acquainted with their NFL teams and their first taste of NFL life before the veterans come in and it also gives the teams an opportunity to host undrafted players, such as Kilgore and Brown, for a tryout with the team. The pair are the sixth and seventh Bethel football players to attend a rookie minicamp or training camp of NFL teams. Most recently linebacker Seth Mathis and wide receiver Mitch Hallstrom participated in rookie minicamp with the Vikings in 2014.

 

Brown had multiple teams offer him the opportunity to attend their rookie minicamps in the Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. Brown chose the Falcons as the defensive scheme run in Atlanta was the most similar to what is run by Bethel and a position that he is most comfortable with. 

 

Brown earned MIAC All-Conference honors as an outside linebacker after his sophomore season before switching to strong safety where he was again an All-Conference pick and also an AFCA First Team All-American. Brown picked off six passes in 2018 and returned three of them for touchdowns.

 

The Falcons camp will take place May 10-12 at their facility in Flowery Branch, GA. Brown will fly down to Atlanta next Thursday.

 

 "The obvious goal is to showcase my ability on and off the field," Brown said. "To do this, mastering the playbook will be a priority when I arrive. My ultimate goal, not only in this camp but in life, is to make much of Christ and that is what I hope to do by the way I act, learn and compete that weekend."

 

 Brown ran a 4.6 second 40-yard dash and weighed in at 223 pounds, measurables that rank very well with current NFL strong safeties.    

 

"Dawson is as instinctive a player as I've ever seen, Bethel Head Coach Steve Johnson said. “He raises the level of everyone around him. Teams have to account for him on every down. He is detailed as a technician, but makes big plays consistently. Most of his picks turn into touchdowns. He is a force on special teams blocking numerous punts and also covering kicks."

 

Dawson is a 2015 BHS graduate and his parents are Todd and Pat Brown.