brian dawkins
Brian Dawkins is an NFL Hall of Famer set to appear in MCU's Weapon X Tonya Austin/Flickr

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy has confirmed that the league has asked the US Department of Homeland Security to remove a social-media video that used iconic footage of Philadelphia Eagles legend Brian Dawkins' 'Weapon X' entrance in a post about a purported migrant caravan approaching the US border.

The montage, posted by DHS on X on Sunday, showed Dawkins performing his intense pre-game entrance before cutting to clips of the Hall of Fame safety delivering heavy hits on opponents. The post was captioned: 'Our time has come.'

The NFL's request has turned what began as a government social-media post into an unusual clash between immigration messaging and one of the league's most recognisable former stars.

Brian Dawkins' 'Weapon X' Persona

Dawkins became one of the defining defensive players in Philadelphia Eagles history during a career that included 16 NFL seasons with the Eagles and Denver Broncos before his retirement in 2011.

A nine-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Dawkins was particularly famous in Philadelphia for his ferocious pre-game ritual. Known as 'Weapon X', he would emerge from the tunnel in an intense crawl, drawing inspiration from Wolverine, before charging towards the field.

That footage was central to the DHS montage. The video showed Dawkins chanting, 'The time has come', before moving into a sequence of hard-hitting plays, creating the impression of an impending confrontation. DHS paired it with its own message about immigration enforcement.

Video Posted in Response to Migrant-Caravan Claim

DHS posted the Dawkins montage in response to a social-media post concerning a purported migrant caravan travelling towards the US border.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the original post came from LeadingReport, which it described as a conservative-leaning outlet that has spread misinformation. DHS has said it was tracking a group of approximately 600 people that had left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on 20 September.

A separate DHS post used a black-and-white image of Dawkins performing his 'Weapon X' entrance alongside the words 'The Border Is Closed', further linking the former NFL star's imagery with the administration's immigration-enforcement messaging.

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Dawkins Has Not Commented

Despite becoming the unexpected face of the viral post, Dawkins has not publicly commented on DHS' use of the footage.

The Eagles also had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting, while DHS had not responded to an inquiry from the Inquirer.

The NFL's request therefore represents the clearest public response from the league itself, although it did not publicly elaborate on the precise reason for seeking the video's removal beyond confirming that the request had been made.

NFL Footage Enters Government Social Media

The Dawkins episode comes amid a broader trend of US government accounts using sports, music and popular culture in political and policy messaging.

The Inquirer reported that the White House previously used NFL footage in a March montage that combined tackles with footage of US military drone strikes in Iran. Government immigration posts have also incorporated music and recognisable fictional characters as officials increasingly turn to meme-style content on social media.

For Dawkins, however, the latest episode places one of the most celebrated symbols of Eagles football at the centre of a message far removed from the sport in which his 'Weapon X' persona was created.

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