Sean Dawkins, former Colts receiver and Cal standout who was a first-round NFL draft pick, dies at 52

Sean Dawkins, a first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts and a standout wide receiver at Cal, has died at the age of 52, NFL owner Jim Irsay confirmed via social media Friday. Irsay posted that he was “shocked and saddened” by Dawkins’ death and sent his “prayers and condolences to Sean’s family.” 

Dawkins was selected by the Colts with the No. 16 overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft out of California, where he enjoyed a consensus first-team All-American season in 1992 during his final collegiate campaign. That year, Dawkins led all NCAA receivers with 14 receiving touchdowns, which remains the program’s record. 

“Heartbroken over the tragic loss of Sean Dawkins, a true legend of the [Cal] Bear community,” Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who attended Cal at the same time as Dawkins, posted on social media. “His remarkable talent brought joy to fans and inspired many. Our deepest condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Sean.”

The cause of Dawkins’ death was not immediately known.

In the pros, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder was a large target for then-Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh and helped Indy to an AFC Championship Game appearance in 1995. In that head-to-head with Pittsburgh, Dawkins caught all seven of his targets for 96 yards, albeit in a 20-16 defeat. The wideout would spend five seasons in Indy before making stops with the Saints, Seahawks, and Jaguars to wrap up his career. His most productive statistical season in the NFL came with Seattle in 1999 where he logged career-highs in both receiving yards (992) and receiving touchdowns (seven). 

For his career, Dawkins finished with 6,291 yards receiving and 25 touchdowns on 445 receptions. His 3,511 yards with the Colts rank 13th on the franchise’s all-time receiving yards list.