PaCkFan_n_MD
08-24-2006, 05:33 PM
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Leading up to this year's NFL draft, several respected NFL scouts described A.J. Hawk as the prospect other than playmaking halfback Reggie Bush who had the fewest holes and was most ready to play well as a rookie.
Hawk's quiet performance as the starting weak-side linebacker through the first two weeks of training camp left that lofty evaluation open to question, but the Green Bay Packers saw good signs in Hawk's play against Atlanta last week and in two days of practice since.
Against the Falcons, Hawk was in on four tackles, including dropping halfback Justin Griffith for a 2-yard loss, and broke up two passes. As he has this week in practice, he looked more sure of his assignments and more like a player who's projected to catch on quickly after being selected No. 5 overall in this year's draft.
"Just talking to (linebackers coach) Winston (Moss) coming down the hall, he felt like (Hawk) really made a step forward," coach Mike McCarthy said shortly after Saturday night's game.
"So, we're excited about that. I'm not really concerned about him. I think he's one of those guys that just needs to keep playing. I compare him to (backup quarterback) Aaron Rodgers; when he hits his comfort level, you're going to see what it's all about."
The Packers need the immediate help as much as any team in the NFL. Their linebacker play was an Achilles' heel last season and a major factor in their rushing defense's No. 23 ranking in the league.
Hawk almost was a consensus top-six prospect, even though linebacker isn't a premium position in the NFL anymore. There even was the chance he could have gone higher than No. 5 overall. NFL sources said the New Orleans Saints coveted Hawk, and if Bush hadn't been available for them at No. 2, they might have selected Hawk at No. 2 or at least traded down a spot or two to take him.
Though Hawk probably was the least physically gifted of the top six draft picks, teams, and especially the Packers, wanted him as much for intangibles as for his impressive though not startling ability.
Maryland tight end Vernon Davis, for instance, probably had the most impressive and freakish combination of size and athletic talent in the draft and was available when the Packers selected at No. 5 overall. He ended up going to San Francisco at No. 6.
But General Manager Ted Thompson considered Hawk the kind of core player he wants to build the team around because of his commitment to football. Hawk is what scouts call "a real football guy," which means he's a self-starter who understands all that goes into and with being a top-notch player.
Scouts saw that, not only in his consistent play on the field, but in his devotion to an early morning training regimen that dates to his middle school years in Centerville, Ohio. He had two brothers on the high school football team and got up with them at 5 a.m. every day to work out.
He continued that throughout his high school career as well as at Ohio State, where he worked out at 6 a.m., even during the season and regardless of how late he stayed up, or what he did, the night before. He says it's now a lifestyle habit that won't change.
"Different people are really different, some people need their full 8 hours (of sleep); I don't feel like I need that," Hawk said. "If I get 5 hours sleep, I feel fine. I'd like to get a little more, but to get 8 hours, I'd have to go to bed really early. And once you get in that groove, you want that (morning workout)."
So, if Hawk becomes one of the Packers' best players, that helps promote a mind-set throughout the locker room.
"That goes without saying," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel. "The way people work (is important)  even when we got (middle linebacker) Nick Barnett, the way he approached practice, the way he played the game, same with Hawk. I think those two guys are two peas in a pod as far as that goes."
The unknowns, though, are whether Hawk will become good enough to be that strong a locker-room example, and if so, will it happen as quickly as those aforementioned scouts projected?
Hawk is locked in as the starter at weak-side linebacker, though he might not be an every-down player, at least early in the season. He and Barnett are the two linebackers in the nickel defense, but Barnett is the lone linebacker in the standard dime package. Hawk has been working as the backup in the dime.
This week in practice, Hawk has appeared to be making reads a little more quickly and decisively. The difference is far from staggering, but his rookie season will be defined by whether he continues that growth throughout the year.
"I just know he's doing real well for us right now," Moss said. "He's all about working on getting better, it's real important to him. He's a very prideful guy. He has that quiet kind of pride. He's not going to go out there and yell and scream, and be outspoken. He just goes about his business very quietly."
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Leading up to this year's NFL draft, several respected NFL scouts described A.J. Hawk as the prospect other than playmaking halfback Reggie Bush who had the fewest holes and was most ready to play well as a rookie.
Hawk's quiet performance as the starting weak-side linebacker through the first two weeks of training camp left that lofty evaluation open to question, but the Green Bay Packers saw good signs in Hawk's play against Atlanta last week and in two days of practice since.
Against the Falcons, Hawk was in on four tackles, including dropping halfback Justin Griffith for a 2-yard loss, and broke up two passes. As he has this week in practice, he looked more sure of his assignments and more like a player who's projected to catch on quickly after being selected No. 5 overall in this year's draft.
"Just talking to (linebackers coach) Winston (Moss) coming down the hall, he felt like (Hawk) really made a step forward," coach Mike McCarthy said shortly after Saturday night's game.
"So, we're excited about that. I'm not really concerned about him. I think he's one of those guys that just needs to keep playing. I compare him to (backup quarterback) Aaron Rodgers; when he hits his comfort level, you're going to see what it's all about."
The Packers need the immediate help as much as any team in the NFL. Their linebacker play was an Achilles' heel last season and a major factor in their rushing defense's No. 23 ranking in the league.
Hawk almost was a consensus top-six prospect, even though linebacker isn't a premium position in the NFL anymore. There even was the chance he could have gone higher than No. 5 overall. NFL sources said the New Orleans Saints coveted Hawk, and if Bush hadn't been available for them at No. 2, they might have selected Hawk at No. 2 or at least traded down a spot or two to take him.
Though Hawk probably was the least physically gifted of the top six draft picks, teams, and especially the Packers, wanted him as much for intangibles as for his impressive though not startling ability.
Maryland tight end Vernon Davis, for instance, probably had the most impressive and freakish combination of size and athletic talent in the draft and was available when the Packers selected at No. 5 overall. He ended up going to San Francisco at No. 6.
But General Manager Ted Thompson considered Hawk the kind of core player he wants to build the team around because of his commitment to football. Hawk is what scouts call "a real football guy," which means he's a self-starter who understands all that goes into and with being a top-notch player.
Scouts saw that, not only in his consistent play on the field, but in his devotion to an early morning training regimen that dates to his middle school years in Centerville, Ohio. He had two brothers on the high school football team and got up with them at 5 a.m. every day to work out.
He continued that throughout his high school career as well as at Ohio State, where he worked out at 6 a.m., even during the season and regardless of how late he stayed up, or what he did, the night before. He says it's now a lifestyle habit that won't change.
"Different people are really different, some people need their full 8 hours (of sleep); I don't feel like I need that," Hawk said. "If I get 5 hours sleep, I feel fine. I'd like to get a little more, but to get 8 hours, I'd have to go to bed really early. And once you get in that groove, you want that (morning workout)."
So, if Hawk becomes one of the Packers' best players, that helps promote a mind-set throughout the locker room.
"That goes without saying," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel. "The way people work (is important)  even when we got (middle linebacker) Nick Barnett, the way he approached practice, the way he played the game, same with Hawk. I think those two guys are two peas in a pod as far as that goes."
The unknowns, though, are whether Hawk will become good enough to be that strong a locker-room example, and if so, will it happen as quickly as those aforementioned scouts projected?
Hawk is locked in as the starter at weak-side linebacker, though he might not be an every-down player, at least early in the season. He and Barnett are the two linebackers in the nickel defense, but Barnett is the lone linebacker in the standard dime package. Hawk has been working as the backup in the dime.
This week in practice, Hawk has appeared to be making reads a little more quickly and decisively. The difference is far from staggering, but his rookie season will be defined by whether he continues that growth throughout the year.
"I just know he's doing real well for us right now," Moss said. "He's all about working on getting better, it's real important to him. He's a very prideful guy. He has that quiet kind of pride. He's not going to go out there and yell and scream, and be outspoken. He just goes about his business very quietly."