Former TCU linebacker Paul Dawson was an All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.
The TCU Horned Frogs are less than 50 days from kicking off the 2025 football season with a nonconference road matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels and new head coach Bill Belichick. As we count down the days until kickoff, we’ll highlight a former (or current) Horned Frog whose jersey number represents the number of days left until the opener.
Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images
47 – Paul Dawson (Linebacker – 2012-14)
A consensus All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2014, Dawson recorded 136 total tackles and six sacks during his senior season, helping guide the TCU Horned Frogs to a conference co-championship and a Peach Bowl victory against Ole Miss. Dawson, who transferred to TCU after one year at Trinity Valley Community College, was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree who was named to the All-Big 12 First Team in 2014. Dawson finished his three-year TCU career with 241 total tackles, 31 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Dawson was selected in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dallas native played in 16 NFL games between 2015 and 2017, recording 16 total tackles and one pass breakup over that span. Dawson signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2018.