"Life can be over before you know it.": Bills OT Dion Dawkins shares his life-threatening COVID-19 experience
Dion Dawkins is the latest NFL athlete to explain how he felt during his battle against the coronavirus. Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has also gone public with his experience of COVID-19. During a recent press conference following the Buffalo Bills training camp practice, Sean McDermott explained that their left tackle Dion Dawkins isn't close to returning.
Dawkins has been activated off the COVID-19 list. During a press conference on Tuesday, Dawkins shared his experience while having the virus.
Dion Dawkins didn't know if he would make it out of his battle against COVID-19
During Tuesday's press conference, Dion Dawkins explained how he was hospitalized for several days during his fight against the coronavirus. Dawkins also expressed the physical and mental toll of COVID-19. The Buffalo left tackle said that his battle against COVID-19 was a reminder that "life can be over before you know it."
Dion Dawkins went on to explain how the virus took over his life.
"I didn't know that my mind could get to the low it could get to. I was extremely emotional. I don't want to scare anybody, but there were moments where I was like 'I don't know if I'm going to make this.' I was down bad. I could barely move and I was just hurting."
The NFL is continuing to push its players toward receiving the vaccination. Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott hopes that Dawkins experience can help convince more people to take the shot.
McDermott called Dawkins' situation a teachable moment and that he hopes it can help others. He also hopes that talking about the experience will help Dion Dawkins get through the tough times.
The problem that NFL teams now face is a new string of the deadly virus. On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that fans would need to prove they received the vaccination before entering their premises. That could be a sign of things to come as the new string spreads across the United States.
The NFL needs its players to hop on board now more than ever. According to reports, it hasn't been confirmed if the vaccination will protect humans against the new string of the virus. However, it has been ascertained that the vaccination does help in lowering the fatality of the side effects.
After listening to Dion Dawkins and Myles Garrett explain how they felt during their experience with the virus, it should give other NFL athletes an insight into what could potentially happen if they contract the virus.