Buffalo Bills Star Dion Dawkins Addresses the Biggest Debates From HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’

With the Buffalo Bills in the spotlight during the current season of HBO‘s Hard Knocks, four-time Pro Bowler Dion Dawkins has a unique understanding of the team that stands on the precipice of greatness.

Dawkins, who has been a fan favorite amid the current iteration of the long-running sports series, chats with The Hollywood Reporter about the biggest talking points surrounding the show that focuses on the AFC standouts who lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game earlier this year.

Among the topics of conversation for the offensive tackle known as “The Shnowman” are running back James Cook recently resolving his hold-in with the team as he finalized a new contract, social media debate surrounding Dawkins’ young children joining him for drifting races, the keys to his special relationship with quarterback Josh Allen and his hopes for a future Hollywood career.

I know you had an injury earlier this week. How are you doing?

Regular stuff. is a 100 percent injury rate. We’re all good.

Over the years, some players have mixed feelings about the Hard Knocks cameras. How are you feeling about the show’s presence?

The good thing is, for a guy like Shnow, I absolutely love the camera. Hard Knocks, they have been doing a great job. They’re not like, “Boom, we’re in your face.” They’re just very subtle. The people that are actually working the cameras are actually very nice, so it makes it a lot easier to work and then entertain.

As a leader of the offense, how has it felt to deal with the James Cook contract situation and now to finally have that settled?

One, that’s going to be a huge hit for the TV show. And two, it’s a blessing when guys can hit their goals. Regardless of what anyone thinks, James Cook hit a goal, and he put his mind to it, and he got something done. I’m just glad that it’s behind us. Now, when we look at Cook, it’s, “You got it done. Let’s keep playing ball.” Everything is in a positive aura — not to say that anything was a negative aura, but now everything is positive. The process of getting a contract done — that energy is not there. Now everybody will just be smiling, and Cook will be running behind us and celebrating with Dion in the end zone.

How does it feel to have your family on-screen with you and show off your kids’ personalities?

Previously, I was always one to keep them sheltered, like, “I don’t want to have them on-camera.” As they turned 3, I said, “I’m a media guy. I love the camera, and there’s really no hiding from it.” Being able to introduce my children and my fiancée to the world in this way, it’s iconic. When I’m 75 years old, and I’m going to go back to see a young 30-year-old Dion and a 5-year old [Daliliah] and a 4-year-old Dil and a 3-year-old Koko, we get to watch that. So that’s the coolest part.

The show has shared your passion for drifting and your kids getting to join you in the car. What was your reaction to social media comments about whether your children are too young to race?

The best part about me is, I’m my own person, and everybody lives their own life. Some people think that a kid being in a car — it’s a car. You’re just going in a circle, instead of going straight down a highway. People have been known to get in more accidents on a highway with their family than in a drift car with their family. So statistically, I’m winning. With a lot of aspects of life, it’s whatever you feel is best for your family. You have a family and you lead. With me, I enjoy the extreme sports. There’s kids that skateboard at the age of 2. There’s children that freaking get on these horses and do competitions with cones and hurdles.

When my kids are with me and in my control, as well as [my fiancée] Daiyaana, we’re safe. Honestly, I do know that people will have a problem with everything that people do. “Oh, my gosh, you’re feeding your kid chicken! What about the chickens?” Stuff like that. The world is what you make of it. I’ve created a bubble where my kids are happy when they get in a drift car, and as a father, I just want to see my kids happy. Since I introduced them to it, that’s one of the things that they enjoy doing, so I’m going to keep doing it.

What’s the secret to your chemistry with Josh Allen?

The secret to our chemistry is, I love Josh for who he is, man, and I treat him as my big little brother. I don’t try to force any of my craziness on Josh; he doesn’t try to force any of his Cali country farm stuff on me. It just works. I’m going to help that kid do whatever he needs me to do for him to achieve his greatness.

After the Bills’ first preseason game with the Giants, there was talk about Jaxson Dart getting his first playing time against you guys. Any thoughts on his future?

Who is that?

Oh, the Giants’ rookie quarterback.

Truly, I like [Giants head coach and former Bills offensive coordinator Brian] Daboll. When we started really winning, it was like, “I know Dabs.” Everything that Dabs does, I’m giving it a thumbs-up. I like the Carter kid [rookie Abdul Carter]; I like the D-line all the way across; I like the linebackers; I like the safeties; I like the swag; I like that Dabs has lost weight. Everything that Dabs does, I love it. So if this quarterback is under him, I’m giving it a thumbs-up.

How does this training camp feel compared to previous ones?

We are still learning what team we are, and that’s what comes with training camp. I would have said this last year, and I would have said this the year before, but we’re just learning who we are. When it comes to the Buffalo Bills, that’s what we do. We don’t look at what the world is saying. We know one thing, bro: Just play our style of football, and good things will happen, and we’re true to it.

The team has gotten so close to winning it all in the past few years.

That’s the hardest thing, bro, with being a great football team. That’s the hardest thing with having so many great football teams at one time. Look at the era of football that we’re in right now — and I try to remind my teammates that we’re living in a moment of history. I’m just speaking on what you said, that we come so close — yes, we freaking do, man. And it sucks. But the good thing is that we still have our team, and as long as [owner Terry] Pegula and [coach Sean] McDermott and [GM Brandon] Beane are running shop, we have a chance forever. So we’re going to keep swinging at this thing.

You’ve mentioned wanting a movie career. What would your path look like?

Dave Bautista is a nice niche for the movie world. Of course, you want to be a great like Denzel [Washington] and all these guys, which I love, too. Bautista is definitely the character that I enjoy on film. He’s big, has a personality, can be funny, can be very serious. He can also sell out a box office. So I think that’s the perfect combination for a goal, and I’m pushing for it.