Colts Call Dawson, Farbotko

While the avid Harvard football fan was glued to the TV or computer screen watching the NFL draft Sunday afternoon, hoping to see Clifton Dawson’s name appear, Dawson himself was already prepared to start his professional career.

By the time the draft was over, he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

Although the Scarborough, Ont. native was not drafted by any of the 32 NFL teams, a fair share of squads were interested in adding him to their rosters, including the Indianapolis Colts, the Chicago Bears, the New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Cleveland Browns.

“I didn’t really have time to digest the fact that I wasn’t drafted,” Dawson said. “Midway through the seventh round I started receiving calls from teams offering contracts. Before the end of the seventh round I had six teams offer contracts and it was just a matter of finding the best offer and negotiating the best signing bonus.”

And negotiate he did. The back fielded multiple calls from different coaches on multiple phone lines at once in what he called “a whirlwind,” before making his decision.

The Colts will apparently provide him with overly generous financial compensation.

“I’m not going to disclose how much it was, but the teams commented that the deal that I got was outstanding,” Dawson said. “I got a substantial signing bonus that’s uncommon for free agents.”

But money was not the only deciding factor on Sunday night. The prospect of a real opportunity was also on the table.

“What I enjoy about the Colts is that they expressed sincere interest in me,” Dawson said.

“I spent a half hour on the phone with Coach Dungy. They didn’t draft a running back, which is important. I feel going in there I’ll be competing for a roster spot.”

And how did the athlete celebrate the certainty of his future he has been waiting months to hear? By writing a paper that was due yesterday.

Dawson’s life as a pro athlete begins this Thursday as he travels to Indianapolis for next weekend’s mini camp, where he can begin to showcase his abilities. He then plans to return to Cambridge for reading period, exams, and graduation before joining the Colts for what he hopes will be a longer stay.

Dawson will have to prove himself, however, as his hopes could be dashed if his performance is not up to par. If this does in fact turn out to be the case, the back could end up on the practice squad if he does not make the roster.

The NFL rules stipulate that the League may allow some teams’ practice squads to hold more than the typical eight players, in which case they may have an additional international player who does not count as one of the original eight, but cannot throughout the course of the season be signed to a contract. As Dawson is from Canada, his status could be as that ninth player.

The tailback will have a companion at least this weekend if not in his future endeavors.

Senior tight end Matt Farbotko also received a phone call from Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon.

Although his news was not quite as good as Dawson’s—he did not receive a contract—it was all he could hope for. The Colts offered to bring him in for a tryout including meetings and orientations as well as physical, drug, and flexibility tests, with the potential for a future in their organization.

“I’m getting my foot in the door, and that’s all I can ask for,” Farbotko said.

And the senior is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure his future on an NFL squad along side his classmate and former teammate.

“Obviously [Dawson] is in a different situation than I am, but the potential is great, especially since I was a tight end for two years,” Farbotko said. “I blocked for him for two years and the opportunity to do that again would be great.”

—Staff writer Madeleine I. Shapiro can be reached at mshapiro@fas.harvard.edu.