Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins missed practice on Thursday. It was an excused absence. The excuse is both shocking and tragic.
Dawkins, a three-time Pro Bowl lineman, had a plane crash into his yard after the craft apparently experienced mechanical issues.
The crash occurred on the morning of December 19, 2024, resulting in the death of the pilot. The news cast a somber mood over what was supposed to be a routine practice day for Dawkins and his teammates.
Dawkins eventually made it to the Bills practice facility and sent out thoughts and prayers to the victim’s family.
“I still wonder why things happen in life, but tragedies happen all of the time,” he said. “The biggest point about it is, I just hope that the pilot’s family is OK. I hope that they’re doing all right because somebody lost their life today in an accident.”
Dion Dawkins spoke today about the plane crash that happened near his East Aurora property this morning.
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) December 19, 2024
“I just hope the pilot’s family is OK. … and I’m glad that my family is perfectly fine.”
Dawkins rejoined his teammates at some point during Thursday’s practice. pic.twitter.com/W9brGdEf7X
Plane Crashes In Dion Dawkins’ Yard
According to reports from TMZ, the single-engine aircraft, which was on its way from Michigan to New York, experienced mechanical issues before crashing at around 11:22 AM.
The plane landed just feet away from Dawkins’ residence, bursting into flames upon impact. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was confirmed dead at the scene by local authorities.
Thankfully, neither Dawkins nor anyone else in the vicinity was injured. Dawkins was at the Bills’ practice facility when he received the alarming news, leading to him being excused from practice to address the situation.
He was reportedly in the hot tub at the Bills’ facility waiting for practice to start when he started receiving phone calls about the incident from one of his security guards and his partner.
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Happy His Family Is Safe
In a statement after the incident, Dion Dawkins expressed relief that his family was safe but was visibly emotional about the loss of life.
“I’m glad that my family is perfectly fine,” Dawkins said. “The alarm systems, the security guards that are there and all of the people that are involved that help keep us safe, everything was going off.”
His fiancée, Daiyaana Muhammad, was at the property to check the mail when the crash happened, adding another layer of shock to the ordeal.
“I gotta get over there and ask the people if they’re OK, and if everybody is shakingly fine because I can’t imagine what it’s just like,” Dawkins added, noting that he’s got to deal with this tragic incident and still try to focus on their upcoming game against the New England Patriots.
“Once I leave here, that’s what I’ll be dealing with for the rest of the day,” he said. “You know, we got a game on Sunday, so still trying to figure it out.”
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