Dave Dawson heard it all as a high school senior.

‘You’re too small, too inexperienced,’ his critics would say. ‘You shouldn’t have your heart set on being a Division I-A running back.’

Dawson could have easily ignored the comments and cursed the doubters. But instead, the 5-foot-7-inch, 188-pound running back used each piece of criticism as a stepping stone to reach the dream he was told was unattainable.

‘(Those comments) just add fuel to the fire,’ Dawson said. ‘It depends how you look at things. I see it as positive reinforcement. I channel that stuff and use it as a motivator. When people say I can’t do this or I can’t do that, it makes me want go out and prove them wrong.’

He did that when he took the field for the Buffalo Bulls in 2002 and became one of the smallest running backs in Division I-A. The junior from Camp Hill, Pa., rushed for 1,040 yards in his first two seasons with the Bulls, but now he’s out to prove he can also be a dominant tailback.

The Bulls’ veteran running back rushed for 102 yards on 10 carries Sept. 2 in UB’s season opener against Eastern Michigan and will look to duplicate those numbers when the Orange visits UB Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m.

‘I’m really excited about (playing Syracuse),’ Dawson said. ‘My whole family is coming out. I can’t wait. There’s going to be a big crowd. It’s going to be a big-time college football atmosphere.’

Just six years ago as a high school sophomore, Dawson wasn’t even playing football, let alone dreaming about playing in front of a sellout crowd.

Ironically, it was a decision driven by basketball that paved the way for his football success. After having issues with his Trinity High School basketball coach, Dawson transferred to Bishop McDevitt High School after his freshman year.

Dawson played basketball his final three years, but his passion for football was revived when one of his former Pee-Wee league coaches on the Bishop McDevitt football staff asked him to try out for the varsity squad midway through his sophomore year.

Bishop McDevitt’s starting running back was expected to miss a few weeks with heart problems, but doctors cleared him to play, relegating Dawson to special teams duties for the final four games of the season.

It wasn’t until his junior year that Dawson received his first high school carry. But by halftime of that game, he had suffered a back injury that would force him to miss half the season.

Dawson played just 17 career games at tailback, but he still rushed for more than 3,000 yards and scored 28 touchdowns while leading Bishop McDevitt to a 15-5 record in his final two seasons.

‘I just went out and played on instincts in high school,’ Dawson said ‘I didn’t really know Xs and Os or anything like that.’

Still, Dawson didn’t catch the attention of most college coaches watching Bishop McDevitt, which churns out numerous college recruits every year.

‘We had every college coach in the nation looking at our program, so we got a lot of hype,’ Dawson said. ‘When I’d meet guys in person, they’d always be huge former players. And the first thing they’d say to me is ‘You looked a lot bigger on film.”

Dawson’s diminutive stature didn’t fit the prototypical running back mold. He lacked the experience most tailbacks had, as well. His biggest asset was his natural ability, which made many coaches believe they could recruit him as an athlete and turn him into a cornerback or use him on special teams.

The big names were there – Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Syracuse – but they wouldn’t let Dawson play the position he loved.

‘I would tell coaches that I wanted to play running back and was set on that, so that turned a lot of bigger coaches away,’ Dawson said. ‘The more versatility you have, the better that’ll help you for recruiting. But I had my heart set on being a Division I-A running back.’

Dawson got his wish when first-year UB coach Jim Hofher told him he’d have a spot in the Bulls’ backfield.

After redshirting his freshman year, the 5-foot-7 tailback made quick believers out of Hofher and his teammates.

‘(His size) doesn’t mean a thing,’ senior tight end Brian Miller said. ‘He’s the best athlete on our team pound for pound.’

‘He has all the things that most coaches would want in terms of running ability, catching ability, intelligence, toughness,’ Hofher said. ‘The fact that he’s a short guy doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a small guy. There’s no disputing he’s a powerful guy.’

Dawson said he doesn’t even think about his height, but when he does, he even finds some advantages to it.

‘It actually plays to my advantage a lot of times because I have a low center of gravity,’ Dawson said. ‘A lot of bigger linebackers are coming down on me, not really hitting me square and low and taking out my legs, but just hitting me up top. And then I hide behind guys’ legs, pop out and run around them because they can’t see me back there.’

With humor and self-confidence, Dawson has put the size issue to rest. His success has silenced the critics that hounded him a few years ago.

But they’re still out there, pointing at his Bulls’ 1-11 record last year and FootballNews.com’s preseason ranking that put them at 116 out of 117 Division I-A teams. Therefore, Dawson’s job is unfinished. He still has to turn a national doormat into a contender.

‘I look at our program, where it’s at and where it’s going, and it’s special to be a part of,’ Dawson said. ‘We’re looking to turn around the program and put Buffalo on the map.’

It seems no matter what Dawson does, there will still be critics. If it isn’t his size that makes him an underdog, it’s his team. But that’s fine with Dawson because he loves the role.

‘Everything I do, I want to do it at the highest level,’ Dawson said. ‘It’s a challenge and I like that. I like being the underdog.’

Published on September 8, 2004 at 12:00 pm