Life as a Mountaineer: The DAWGS!
October 04, 2018 09:47 AM | Football
Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson calls them his "DAWGS" - dogs spelled differently because they play differently - and the guys in this exclusive group view it as the supreme compliment.
"Dogs play aggressively and they want to eat, regardless of the situation," four-year DAWGS club member Dravon Askew-Henry says. "Coach Gibson always tells us we've got to attack like wild dogs."
"My opinion is the DAWGS are about going out there and getting it done by any means," says junior linebacker David Long Jr., another longtime card carrier.
It's playing passionately. It's playing with effort and it's playing with great pride - something Gibson felt was lacking in West Virginia's defense when he first took over in 2014.
"We were going out to Lubbuck my first year as defensive coordinator and we had our last team meeting on Friday and I said, 'Look guys, I want to unleash the dogs on this quarterback.' That's kind of where it came from and I gave them all a shirt."
Now, four years later, if you are lucky enough to get one of Gibson's "DAWG" t-shirts you know you are part of something special.
He's even come up with an acronym for his unique spelling of DAWGS – discipline, accountability, work ethic, graduate and success.
"Those are our core values when it comes to our defense," Gibson said.
Added Long Jr, "When it comes to football wise, discipline, which is the D in DAWGS, I feel like that's going to take us places because when you've got discipline as a defense there is nothing that can get you off track."
When players first get to WVU, DAWGS is just another word to them, but by the time they leave it takes on a totally different meaning to them.
"Yeah, I'm an OG DAWG," Askew-Henry laughed. "When I came here I was a puppy, but now I've transformed into a DAWG."
Presented by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
Produced by Sarah Ramundt
"Dogs play aggressively and they want to eat, regardless of the situation," four-year DAWGS club member Dravon Askew-Henry says. "Coach Gibson always tells us we've got to attack like wild dogs."
"My opinion is the DAWGS are about going out there and getting it done by any means," says junior linebacker David Long Jr., another longtime card carrier.
It's playing passionately. It's playing with effort and it's playing with great pride - something Gibson felt was lacking in West Virginia's defense when he first took over in 2014.
"We were going out to Lubbuck my first year as defensive coordinator and we had our last team meeting on Friday and I said, 'Look guys, I want to unleash the dogs on this quarterback.' That's kind of where it came from and I gave them all a shirt."
Now, four years later, if you are lucky enough to get one of Gibson's "DAWG" t-shirts you know you are part of something special.
He's even come up with an acronym for his unique spelling of DAWGS – discipline, accountability, work ethic, graduate and success.
"Those are our core values when it comes to our defense," Gibson said.
Added Long Jr, "When it comes to football wise, discipline, which is the D in DAWGS, I feel like that's going to take us places because when you've got discipline as a defense there is nothing that can get you off track."
When players first get to WVU, DAWGS is just another word to them, but by the time they leave it takes on a totally different meaning to them.
"Yeah, I'm an OG DAWG," Askew-Henry laughed. "When I came here I was a puppy, but now I've transformed into a DAWG."
Presented by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
Produced by Sarah Ramundt
Players Mentioned
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