Dermontti Dawson
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1988-2000)
- 7x election to the Pro Bowl ( 1992-1998)
- 6x All- Pro selection (1993-1998 )
- NFL 1990s All- Decade Team
Dermontti Farra Dawson ( born June 17, 1965 in Lexington, Kentucky ) is a former American professional American football player at the position of the center. He played from 1988 to 2000 for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League ( NFL).
College
Dawson spent his college years at the University of Kentucky. Originally, he applied for an athletics scholarship, as he had already been successful in high school in the shot put and discus throw. However, his supervisor convinced him a scholarship for the football program to accept, in which he played as a guard from 1984 to 1987. For his services he was appointed to the Senior Bowl.
Professional time
1988 Dawson was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft on 44th of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first season he was used because of an injury only in eight games as a guard. After Mike Webster, the longtime center of the Steelers, left the team, took over Dawson from 1989 for the next twelve years the position. Between 1989 and 1999 he ran on in a row for the team the Steelers in 171 games. Along with Ray Mansfield, Mike Webster and Jeff Harting he was from 1964 to 2006 only one of four players who regularly started for the Steelers on the position of the center. After he had to fight in both the 1999 and 2000 season with injuries, the Steelers released him from his contract in 2000. During this time he was seven times elected to the Pro Bowl six times and to the All Pro team and selected to the NFL 1990s All- Decade Team. Due to its friendly nature, he received from his teammates nicknamed Ned Flanders. After he was nominated several times for the election to Hall of Fame, he was finally taken in 2012.
After the professional career
Dawson is married and has two children. He lives in his hometown of Lexington and works as a project developer in the real estate industry. On 2 July 2010, he was forced to declare bankruptcy after he had amassed through real estate transactions more than 69 million in debt ..