Brian Dawkins was so worried about sapping his energy and emotions early that he couldn't even take the field with the rest of the Denver Broncos for pregame warmups.

So Dawkins patiently waited in the locker room, a thunderous stadium flooded with No. 20 jerseys waiting his arrival.

He didn't disappoint, acting more like an Olympic gymnast than Pro Bowl safety in his first game back at Philadelphia.

Dawkins was introduced last on Sunday when the Broncos defensive starters were announced. He dropped to one knee, pointed to the sky and flexed. Dawkins then somersaulted, and turned a reverse somersault into a handstand. Dawkins nearly took out a cameraman as he charged through the line and chest-bumped his teammates.

"It's just real, real nerve-racking," Dawkins said. "I've been in a lot of big games before. I was just trying to control my emotions. It was real tough for this game, mainly because we needed this game so bad."

Dawkins has played better games at the Linc than in Denver's 30-27 loss against the Eagles that hindered the Broncos' playoff chances. The Eagles inched closer to an NFC East title in a game that doubled as Dawkins' Appreciation Night.

Some fans wore his Broncos or Clemson jersey with Eagles hats and jackets. Others just pulled the ol' Eagles No. 20 jerseys out of the closet in what could be the final time they'll get to honor one of the franchise's all-time greats.

The 36-year-old Dawkins was the face of the Eagles and one of their most inspirational players over a 13-year career. He wanted to return to Philadelphia, but couldn't turn down a better offer from the Broncos.

He insisted his only thoughts were about helping the Broncos win and getting engulfed in nostalgia.

"Once it was snapped, it was about playing football," Dawkins said.

But it wasn't easy to forget all the memories and friendships forged over an Eagles career that included multiple trips to the NFC title game and a Super Bowl appearance. Some of his former teammates, such as safety Sheldon Brown, pointed toward Dawkins during the game out of gratitude and respect.

"Those are the types of things I expected from some of the guys over there," Dawkins said. "We went to battles, we went to war for many, many years. We built something."

Brown wasn't surprised Dawkins skipped warmups. He'd seen up close Dawkins silently prepare in the locker room before big games because he was worried about wasting all his pent-up aggression.

Brown, who keeps in touch with Dawkins and watches Broncos games, joked that Dawkins "would have to come out and have an IV" if he tried to play after warmups.