Dawan Landry is the older brother of LSU safety LaRon Landry. Dawan attended Hahnville High School in Ama, Louisiana where he played football and basketball. Dawan was the starting quarterback at Hahnville, passing for 1,950 yards and rushing for 795 more as a junior. As a senior he passed for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,575 yards and 15 touchdowns, on his way to honorable mention all-state honors. He led Hahnville to an 11-0 regular season record as a senior. He accepted a scholarship to Georgia Tech where he played quarterback on the scout team while redshirting in 2001. He moved to defense the following season, playing mostly on special teams in the games. He finished with 8 tackles on the season. Dawan earned a starting position as a sophomore, totaling 85 tackles, 2 pass break-ups, and 2 interceptions on the season. He had another solid season as a junior, finishing with 81 tackles, 2 pass break-ups, 1 interception, and career highs in sacks (3) and forced fumbles (1). He finished his career with 76 tackles and career highs in pass break-ups (5) and interceptions (4). Dawan earned second team all-ACC honors for his play as a senior.

Dawan Landry has a good deal of experience, having started the past three seasons at Georgia Tech. He has a good combination of size and strength for a safety. The former quarterback does a good job of reading and reacting to what the offense is doing. He is an aggressive run defender who takes good angles to the ball carrier. He is a very hard hitter and a solid wrap-up tackler. He is also effective on the blitz. In coverage, Dawan does a good job of putting himself in position to make a play on the ball and he has reliable hands. He will struggle in man coverage at times. He lacks fluid hips and a good backpedal. He doesn’t have ideal speed for a safety and he will give up the big play at times. Dawan is an intelligent player with outstanding character. He has only been playing the safety position for three years and he can improve his technique but he does have some upside. He should be a second day pick in the 2006 NFL draft.