Bills OL Dion Dawkins on Having COVID-19: 'Life Can Be Over Before You Know It'

Bills lineman Dion Dawkins said he didn't know his "mind could get to the low it could get to" after spending four days in the hospital with COVID-19.

Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins didn't shy away from describing his experience with COVID-19, saying there were times when he didn't know if he would recover. 

Dawkins spent four days in the hospital with COVID-19 and says he lost at least 12 pounds, telling Bills reporter Sal Capaccio that he had both doses of his vaccine but wasn't considered fully vaccinated since he contracted COVID-19 less than two weeks after his final dose.  

"I don't want to scare anybody, but there were moments where I was like 'I don't know if I'm going to make this.' I was down bad, where I could barely move and I was hurting," Dawkins said in a press conference. 

Dawkins took part in a limited practice session for the first time on Tuesday since coming off the COVID list last week. And while Bills coach Sean McDermott told Buffalo outlet Spectrum News that the left tackle is "not close to where he needs to be to play," Dawkins appeared relieved just to be back in action. 

"Life can be over before you know it,"Dawkins said. "And regardless of what you made in life and what you did, you've got to keep stepping and just do what's right because you never know what life will bring."

The Temple alum missed nearly two weeks of training camp due to COVID-19. Dawkins said the virus left him extremely emotional as he didn't know that his "mind could get to the low it could get to."

Dawkins, a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, has started every regular season game for the Bills the last three seasons.