The 33rd Team’s Elliott Kalb ranked the NFL’s top safeties of all-time, and former Tiger Brian Dawkins landed at No. 5:

A second-round pick out of Clemson in 1996, Dawkins was recognized as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s, was voted the starting safety on the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, was a five-time All-Pro selection and nine-time Pro Bowler.

Dawkins played 224 career games with the Eagles (1996-2008) and the Broncos (2009-2011). He amassed 1,131 tackles (895 solo), intercepted 37 passes, which he returned for 513 yards and two touchdowns, recorded 26 sacks and made 19 fumble recoveries.

In the 2004 NFC Championship Game, Dawkins had a tackle, two passes defensed, one forced fumble and an interception returned for 19 yards. The Eagles defeated the Falcons, 27-10, and advanced to the Super Bowl.

Dawkins was a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News after his senior year at Clemson. He was a a second-team All-ACC defensive back in 1993 and 1994 and a first-team selection as a senior in 1995. He tied a Clemson record with three interceptions against Duke in 1995. All three picks came in one quarter, and he remains the only Clemson player ever to have three interceptions in a single quarter.

Dawkins became the first former Tiger to be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a 16-year NFL career with Philadelphia and Denver where he was a nine-time Pro Bowler.