Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson Receives Governor's Medal of Freedom

Governor Ron DeSantis presented the Governor's Medal of Freedom to Baseball Hall of Famer Andre "The Hawk" Dawson on Monday, recognizing the Miami-born sports legend's distinguished 21-year major league career, his ongoing support of Florida A&M University, and his impact on the state.

Dawson, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, played for the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins during his career. He earned eight All-Star selections, eight Gold Glove Awards, and four Silver Slugger Awards. His 1987 season with the Cubs was particularly memorable—he hit 49 home runs and drove in 137 runs to win the National League MVP award. He finished his career with 438 home runs, 2,774 hits, 1,591 RBIs, and 314 stolen bases.

A standout at Southwest Miami Senior High School, Dawson walked on to the Florida A&M baseball team after being unrecruited out of high school. His performance at the Tallahassee historically Black university caught the attention of MLB scouts, leading to his selection by the Montreal Expos in the 1975 draft and his 1976 debut. He earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1977.

Beyond his playing career, Dawson has remained committed to advancing opportunities for student-athletes at historically Black colleges and universities. In 2018, Major League Baseball renamed its annual HBCU baseball event the Andre Dawson Classic in recognition of his contributions. The Governor's Medal of Freedom is the highest honor the Governor can bestow upon a Floridian.