I can’t say I’m all too worked up about the upcoming balloting for the football Hall of Fame. It’d be cool if Curtis Martin got in because he was a great Jet and all.

But if I had to come out in support of one candidate, there’s no doubt whom I’d pick: Dermontti Dawson, the former Steelers center. Got to give the linemen some.

Dawson made seven straight Pro Bowls in the 90s. He wasn’t big by the standards set for NFL offensive linemen, but he had great feet, he positioned himself perfectly and he always seemed among the smartest players on the field. By the latter part of the decade, the Steelers relied on Dawson to pull and serve as lead blocker on most of their sweeps and screens — rare for a center.

Since I did the same in high school (also in the late 90s), I emulated Dawson as best as I could. Needless to say, I wasn’t as good.