Andrew Austin Hawkins (born March 10, 1986) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

wide receiver. He played six seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

and

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

and two seasons for the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

, where he was part of back-to-back

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

Championships. He had signed with the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

in the 2017 offseason, but announced his retirement just days before training camp. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the

Toledo Rockets The Toledo Rockets are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The ...

from 2004 to 2007.

Early career

Hawkins attended

Bishop McCort High School Bishop McCort High School is a private, Catholic high school located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in Cambria County. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, though it is not run by the Roman Catholic Diocese due to its priv ...

in his hometown of

Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, Johnstown is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropol ...

, where he played football and ran track. In

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, he played as a running back and had 562 yards rushing and 10

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...

as a senior. He was named second-team All-state as a defensive back by PA Football News and Associated Press, and All-conference as a running back. In

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

, Hawkins competed in sprinting and jumping events. In sprints, he recorded a personal-best time of 11.33 seconds in the

100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...

, and was a member of the 4 × 100 m relay squad. He also participated in

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

(20 ft 2 in) and

triple jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...

(41 ft 8 in). Hawkins chose to attend college at the

University of Toledo The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of T ...

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

. He played at wide receiver and

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

, making him the first Rocket to play both ways in 48 years. Over four seasons, he played in 37 games, starting in 25. He finished his career with 67 receptions for 1,107 yards and five touchdowns. As a cornerback, he had two forced fumbles, one blocked punt and 21 tackles.

Professional career

Hawkins worked out with the

after going undrafted in the

2008 NFL draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...

. He was not signed to play in the NFL and was out of football the entire 2008 season.

''4th and Long''

Hawkins competed as a contestant on

Michael Irvin Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ...

's football reality show ''4th and Long''. Hawkins was a runner-up to fellow receiver

Jesse Holley Jesse Holley (born January 8, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at North Carolina. He won the reality TV show, ''4th and Lon ...

. Hawkins was cut on the final episode along with future CFL player Ahmaad Smith.

Montreal Alouettes

He then signed with the

of the

(CFL) on December 5, 2008. However, before his first CFL season in 2009, Hawkins went to compete on

's football reality show ''4th and Long'' to compete for a spot on the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

roster. He was named the runner-up. Hawkins then went on to play with the Alouettes for two seasons. He scored his first CFL touchdown on October 12, 2009 during a Thanksgiving Day match-up against the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-old ...

. He totaled only 41 receptions, 457 yards and five touchdowns in two seasons for the Alouettes, but was a part of the back-to-back

championship teams.

St. Louis Rams

On January 12, 2011, Hawkins signed a contract with the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

of the

(NFL). He was waived on August 1, 2011.

Cincinnati Bengals

The

claimed Hawkins off waivers on August 1, 2011. He debuted for the team on August 21, 2011 in Week 2 of the preseason against

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

, catching a 15-yard pass from

Dan LeFevour Daniel Terrence LeFevour (born March 19, 1987) is a former Canadian football quarterback. He was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and spent time with three other NFL teams (without appearing in a re ...

. Hawkins was waived during final-day cuts on September 3 but he was re-signed to the team's

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

the following day. Hawkins was added to the active roster after

Jordan Shipley Jordan Shipley (born December 23, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. Shipley played college football for the University of Texas, and received consensus All-American recognition. He was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the t ...

was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

. Hawkins went on to record 23 receptions for 263 yards, both fifth among the team's receivers. He also had five rushes for 25 yards converted on nine third-down situations. His on-the-field performance made Hawkins a bit of a "fan favorite" among Bengals fans, who referred to him as "Baby Hawk". He had a breakout season in 2012 for the Bengals, playing in 14 games and totaling 51 receptions for 533 yards and four touchdowns, plus six rushes for 30 yards. In 2013, he suffered a serious

ankle The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...

injury prior to the preseason and was placed on injured reserve with a designation for a possible return, meaning he could return and play by Week 9. He did return and played in the Bengals final eight games, totaling 12 receptions for 199 yards.

Cleveland Browns

Hawkins signed an offer sheet with the

on March 12, 2014. The Bengals had until March 18 to match or the offer sheet would become an official contract. The Bengals declined to match the offer, and Hawkins became a member of the Browns with a reported four-year, $13.6 million contract, including a $3.8 million signing bonus. In his first season in Cleveland, Hawkins led the Browns with 63 catches for 824 yards and two touchdowns. On December 23, 2015, the Browns placed him on injured reserve. On February 27, 2017, Hawkins was released by the Browns.

New England Patriots

On May 24, 2017, Hawkins signed a one-year contract with the

Retirement

On July 25, 2017, Hawkins announced his retirement from the NFL.

Statistics

NFL

all stats fro
espn.com

CFL

Personal life

Hawkins is the younger brother of former NFL cornerback

Artrell Hawkins Artrell Hawkins, Jr. (born November 24, 1976) is a former American football player of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Cincinnati. Hawk ...

. He is also the cousin of retired CFL slotback

Geroy Simon Geroy Simon (born 11 September 1975) is the assistant general manager for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is also a former professional Canadian football slotback who played in 15 seasons in the CFL, twelve of them wit ...

, and former NFL offensive guard

Carlton Haselrig Carlton Lee Haselrig (January 22, 1966 – July 22, 2020) was an American heavyweight wrestler and NFL player. Haselrig wrestled for University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He is the only person to win six NCAA titles in wrestling, three times ...

. Hawkins is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. Hawkins has spoken about his faith saying, "I literally thank God every day for what I'm doing right now. I wouldn't change the way I got here at all. It taught me so much. It made me a better person and a better man. I'm just so thankful for where I am, and I wake up every day and thank God for it." Hawkins graduated from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 2017 with a master's degree in sports management from the School of Professional Studies with a 4.0 GPA.

Film and television career

Hawkins appears as an extra in the

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...

film, ''

The Ides of March The Ides of March (; la, Idus Martiae, Late Latin: ) is the 74th day in the Roman calendar, corresponding to 15 March. It was marked by several Religion in ancient Rome, religious observances and was notable in Rome as a deadline for settling d ...

''. Hawkins is now a host on '' SportsCenter on Snapchat''. In addition to this Hawkins co-hosts a football based podcast called the Thom & Hawk Football Show with his former teammate from the Browns, Joe Thomas. Hawkins hosts

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...

's reality competition TV show Dodgeball Thunderdome along with YouTube star

David Dobrik David Dobrik ( Dávid Julián Dobrík (; ; born July 23, 1996)) is a Slovak Internet personality. He found early success on the video-sharing platform Vine, before starting his vlog on YouTube in 2015. In 2019, he co-founded the photography app ...

and Erin Lim. Hawkins cohosts variety program "Roku Recommends" with actress Maria Menounos which premiered July 2021

References

External links

Toledo Rockets bio

Cincinnati Bengals bio

Cleveland Browns bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Andrew 1986 births Living people Sportspeople from Johnstown, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania African-American players of American football African-American players of Canadian football American football wide receivers Canadian football wide receivers Toledo Rockets football players Montreal Alouettes players St. Louis Rams players Cincinnati Bengals players Cleveland Browns players New England Patriots players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people