Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? ferent setting than playing," Dawson said. "I watch a lot of film and I write about it. It's very enjoyable." The former wide receiver has been on a steady climb through the NFL's corporate ladder since turning in his pads in 2000. The following year he moved back to his native Seattle to work as an in-house scout for the Seahawks. He started by evaluating players already in the league that Se- attle was interested in acquiring. He added responsibilities each year and eventually showed he had a knack for spotting top college players ready for a jump to the pros. Dawson moved to Nashville in 2007 when the Titans offered him a posi- tion as their director of pro scouting. He led the charge to bring in players such as Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson and wide receiver Kenny Britt and has since become the right hand man of the team's general manager, Ruston Webster. Tennessee, currently 4-6, is having a rough year in the AFC South, but Dawson's stock is on the rise. He made a very short list of candidates for the general manager opening in St. Louis last winter, where former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher currently works. He decided to stay put when Tennessee offered to promote him to a vice presi- dent position. "It wasn't the ideal fit for me at that time, but I certainly was happy to have the opportunity," Dawson said. "I think that everyone that works in my position throughout the league wants to have that opportunity. "I would love to be a general man- ager, but if God doesn't have that in my plans, I'm fine with that. I realize the unique position that I'm in, but there are only 32 of these jobs in the world. There's only one NFL." Dawson caught 103 passes for 1,406 yards and 10 touchdowns in the NFL before injuries ultimately pulled him away from the field. He played four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and then ended his career with the In- dianapolis Colts. With the Irish, he had 80 receptions for 1,397 yards and four scores as part of a run-heavy offense that had an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions. Dawson got his time at Notre Dame started with a clutch catch during Notre Dame Networking to a career in professional sports often end up calling on loyal alumni to help them get a foot in the door at work. Dawson's position provides some of those "who you know" connections for future football players. He wasn't willing to give away any company Those Notre Dame graduates that don't go on secrets, but Dawson said he keeps a couple of Notre Dame players on his radar at all times when preparing for an upcoming draft. "I can't say any specifically, but I'm always looking," he said. Most projections have the Titans looking for a center and a safety at some point in 2013. Notre Dame seniors Braxston Cave and Zeke Motta are both potential draft picks, which could mean some Irish players will get to use the alumni network early in their careers, depending on how the Titans' draft board shakes out. — Dan Murphy