Dawson arrived in Waco as a junior college transfer, an undersized interior player. He was clever and played within his strengths, certainly an example of one of the fine basketball players that sort of gets lost when Baylor players of quality are discussed here. Carroll played with a guard named David Pierce, another junior college transfer, in his case from California. Pierce had one of the prettiest jump shots I have ever seen, so the two of them played the inside/outside game about as effectively as anyone in that era.

I did not know him well, but I enjoyed what little I knew of him. I recall Dave Campbell telling me that Kim Mulkey asked Dawson about his experience with Hakeem the Dream and what advice he could give her about how to use her new recruit, Britney Griner. According to Dave, Dawson replied simply, "Surround her with shooters." That was an obvious strategy, but not one that Kim followed, unfortunately-- at least in my view.

Carroll had a great sense of humor. I recall his comment to a Baylor group about his stepdaughter, who was a brilliant student. They had something in common, he said. Neither had ever made a "B."

Carroll may not have been on the Dean's list in his time at Baylor, but anyone who knew him could testify that he was steeped in the wisdom of his life's endeavor, and had a deep loyalty to those he worked for and worked with. He was an excellent representative of Baylor, though he would not have claimed to be.

I won two free tickets to a Rockets game back in the late 1980's because I knew of Dawson's Baylor background. While driving home and listening to a Houston sports radio station they offered two tickets to the first caller who could name the person in the Rockets organization who had played and coached at Baylor. I was arriving home when the question was asked so i ran in the house to the phone while my wife and young son looked on thinking something horrible had happened. I called in time to receive the nosebleed tickets, one with an obstructed view of one of the baskets in the Summit. My approximately 10 year old son and I enjoyed the experience..