Nothing was given to Brandon Dawkins at Oaks Christian. At the beginning of his sophomore year, he was the third string quarterback. By the end of it, he'd thrown for over 2,800 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Now a senior, Dawkin's committed to Arizona and on Friday in the first round of the Ford CIF Southern Section PAC-5 Playoffs, he'll lead the Lions (8-2) into their first ever meeting against Mater Dei (8-2), which will air at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports West. Also on the line is Oaks' first ever PAC-5 playoff win.
In the meantime, here's 10 things to know about the talented quarterback:
Meet B-Dawk
You take the initial of his first name and part of his last name and it's what Dawkins has gone by for nearly his entire life.
"It stuck since elementary school," he said. "I didn't realize 'til like eighth grade that that's (former Philadelphia Eagles safety) Brian Dawkins' nickname but it pretty much stuck."
Favorite sport
Growing up, Dawkins was primarily a basketball player. It wasn't until he got to high school that he gave up his hardwood days for the gridiron.
"I was really tall but I used to never play center," he said. "I used to always play one of the forwards. I used to be a forward slash point guard. When I was out there I had the ball in my hand."
Steeler Nation
The Oaks Christian quarterback says he's been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan his entire life.
He says it's his dad's favorite team and he was "born into" being a Steelers fan and did not, by any means, hop on the bandwagon after their wins in Super Bowl XL and XLIII.
"We're having a rough season this year but I'm still with my team," he said. "I'm not switching up."
Favorite movie
The movie came out before he was born but the 1985 film written and directed by John Hughes, "The Breakfast Club" is his favorite.
"It's an interesting movie," Dawkins said. "I've seen it like a million times. Me and my mom really like watching that movie. It's funny. It's serious. It's got a lot of stuff going on in it, so I just like it."
No. 13
Once upon a time, Dawkins was a running back and wore No. 36 because of former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. After Dawkings started playing quarterback in middle school, he made the switch.
"I looked at a 13 and it looked like a 'B' so I just kept it," Dawkins said.
Biggest fear
Bugs, in general, get Dawkins all out of sorts.
"Don't be around me if it's something crawling in the room because you might get hit," he said.
Pregame ritual
Before games, it won't be out of the ordinary to find Dawkins cracking jokes in the locker room. He says he doesn't like for guys to be too serious because then it could cause them to be too tight and make mistakes on the field.
"Keeping the mood light. That's how I focus to get ready for games," he said.
What's in your iPod?
If "The Breakfast Club" was any indication that Dawkins is a little ahead of his time, his musical choices certainly emphasize that theory. R. Kelly and Michael Jackson are among his favorites.
"Everybody's got that Meek Mill and whatnot (in their iPod) and I'm over here singing R. Kelly and whatnot," Dawkins said with a laugh.
Hobbies
Dawkins loves to fish. Last summer in Hawaii, he caught a 120-pound tuna.
Celebrity crush
Meagan Good.
