TCU's Paul Dawson takes pride in bringing down the opposition

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Every stop on the road to becoming an All-American for former TCU linebacker Paul Dawson had its lessons.

Each has hardened and shaped him into one of the most productive and confident players in the country.

"I feel like I'm the No. 1 linebacker in this draft most definitely," Dawson told FOXSports.com at EXOS training facility. "There's no other linebacker out there that had the type of production or year that I had. One-hundred plus tackles, 20 tackles for loss, four interceptions and six sacks. No other linebacker has anything near that. Of course I feel like I'm the No. 1 linebacker in this draft."

The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder fits the mold of the modern-day linebacker. Instead of being a traditional thumper in the middle, Dawson can cover a lot of ground and consistently bring the ball carrier to the ground. He's not a finished product, which he understands, and that's a good thing.

Dawson, though, has been fighting a negative perception early in the draft process. It's those close to him -- who have seen him every day -- who provide context to the criticism.

"I've heard a lot of the stuff saying that he's not a hard worker and he has character stuff, but I've been with him since he's been here and I feel like he's a hard worker," former Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon said. "He's always pushing himself at the end of the workout when we're done. He's trying to always get in extra work after training. He kind of reminds me of myself with the hard work. I don't get how people say that. Honestly he pushes me in our workouts every day."

Dawson's work ethic was developed at an early age. At Skyline High (Dallas, Tx.), he learned how to block out distractions and channel his energy into being a productive student-athlete. Coming from an area surrounded by violence, he focused on sports, competing in football, basketball and track. With the support of a tight-knit family, Dawson was encouraged to pursue his goals.

"We all played sports growing up," Dawson said. "That was a big thing keeping us out of trouble."

At Trinity Valley Community College (Athens, Tx.) -- where Dawson kept his dream alive of playing college football -- he learned the art of the grind. While some of his high school friends were blue-chip prospects accepting offers to play major Division 1 football, Dawson was lightly recruited.

It was at Trinity Valley, in a town that moves at the pace of a crawl, where Dawson's painstaking hunger began to flare. 

"You really had to be self-motivated to get where you wanted to be," Dawson said. "We rarely had team workouts. We rarely practiced. If you wanted to go get it, you had to get it for yourself."

This isn't where the commitment began, but it was a point in his life where it certainly was tested. Enrolling as a wide receiver, Dawson craved to be part of the action. Waiting for the quarterback to go through his reads and look his way drove Dawson to the other side of the ball.

"I'm the type of guy that wants to make plays every play," Dawson said. "I always had that high motor. It was my passion. I couldn't just sit back and not be productive."

As a qualifier at a junior college, Dawson was able to transfer after one year. There was interest from Kansas and UNLV. Then, TCU came calling.

This is where, over the course of three years, Dawson transformed himself physically and professionally. Head coach Gary Patterson stressed the importance of being accountable. Admittedly, Dawson says he'd show up late and it'd rub people the wrong way.

"Coach P would teach me about life," Dawson said. "He would say if you could deal with me, you can deal with anything. Learning how to be more responsible. He always wanted his players to be independent, hard-working people. He would preach to us to be our own boss."

The on-field production was never a problem for Dawson. It was just a matter of opportunity.

During Dawson's junior season in Fort Worth, the team needed to make a change at linebacker. A mistake by a player cost the team the game against Oklahoma and Dawson was given a chance to play. The next week, he made 17 tackles -- the third most in school history. His fearless play inspired.

"There were some games  that we were behind and some people were down and out, but he would be that guy who says, "Let's get it going. Let's make it happen," former TCU cornerback Kevin White told FOXSports.com. "When he makes a play it gets us all hyped. He leads with his play and his talk."

Dawson's breakout junior season included him leading the team with 91 tackles, despite only starting seven games. This past year was when Dawson announced himself as an elite prospect. Finishing his senior season being named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American has made him one of the most intriguing prospects in this upcoming draft.

"When you get a guy from a JUCO they have that hunger and he definitely did from day one," former TCU offensive lineman Tayo Fabuluje said. "It has been there ever since. He's been that vocal leader for us in workouts and he leads by example. He's not a hoorah guy that doesn't get the job done. He walks the walk and talks the talk. He raises the level of everyone around him."

Credit Dawson's instincts and preparation in the film room for a lot of his playmaking. Diagnosing the intricacies of an opponent is something he would spend two hours a day on during the season.

"All the time that I put in I'm glad that it will pay off," Dawson said. "That JUCO life wasn't easy. I tell you that anyone that goes to JUCO would say the same thing. I did what I had to do to get here. It's all been a blessing.

Paul Dawson was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.