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A.J. Hawk has the tools to be a dominant linebacker, but he doesn't let it all go to his head
Sunday, April 23, 2006
By Jimmy Smith
Staff writer
Here's all you need to know about A.J. Hawk's priorities.
The NFL had badgered the Ohio State linebacker in recent days to come to New York for the draft. The league invited the top five or six players to be on hand for photo ops and glad-handing with Commissioner Paul Tagliabue holding a game jersey of the team that has selected them, customarily emblazoned with the number "1."
Hawk declined, citing educational and familial obligations.
"It was tough," he said. "But with all these trips, I'm missing a lot of class as it is, at least one a week. They wanted to make a whole weekend out of it. And on draft day, my agent tells me I'll be going to the city where I'm drafted that night.
"It's a huge honor, but I have a big extended family, and I knew I couldn't take all of them with me. I'd rather stay at home (Centerville, Ohio) with them where I'm comfortable."
When the NFL extends these offers of draft weekends in the Big Apple, it is relatively certain that the player will be among the first chosen. That avoids any embarrassment should one of the invitees slip to the lower part of the first round.
There's no possibility that will happen with Hawk, a guy who seems to be so grounded and highly regarded that he'll certainly be in the top five, perhaps in the top two.
The Saints, with whom Hawk visited this week, are reportedly high on Hawk, but might not, for financial reasons, be willing to take the top-rated linebacker that high, opting to trade down, get a few additional picks, and hoping Hawk still would be on the board at three, four or five.
Not the most sought-after recruit before he got to the Columbus, Ohio, campus as a freshman, Hawk fell right into the Ohio State tradition of great linebackers, worked hard and developed into the premier player at the position.
"That was just part of anyone's personality," Hawk said. "You come in and try not to listen to what was going on around me recruiting-wise. There's so much stuff going on coming from high school to college with the Internet sites, I never got caught up in it, never really worried about it.
"I wanted to try to make an impact early. Get on special teams and play a little bit and learn from the older guys. That's what I did. I got lucky, came into a great situation and got to start for three years."
Humble and unassuming, Hawk had no qualms about participating in a full workout at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February, unlike many of the top-rated players who were invited.
In return, he put up some impressive numbers: a 4.59 40-yard dash, 24 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, a stunning 40-inch vertical jump. Later, in individual workouts the next month in Columbus, Hawk ran 4.45 and 4.47 in the 40-yard dash.
Still, Hawk knows that linebacker is not one of the league's glamour positions, and it's likely he won't be picked right behind Reggie Bush, who's expected to go first overall.
"It's a position where a lot of times they say they don't want to draft people too high because they think 'How much impact can a linebacker have?' " Hawk said. "Guys like Shawne Merriman and Lofa Tatupu had huge years. I think the linebacker position, with all the defenses they're playing and with the offenses you have to face -- one week you're facing a spread offense and the next week a team is trying to pound the ball on you -- you have to be able to do a little bit of everything. That's the tough thing about playing college football, and it's even magnified more in the NFL.
"But it's understandable. Obviously, we're not big defensive ends who are going to get 15 to 18 sacks a year. We're not going to be a running back who's going to rush for 1,500 yards. It's a spot where there's three or four of them on the field, I guess you can justify not taking guys too high. All I want is a chance, regardless of where I'm taken."
Sunday, April 23, 2006
By Jimmy Smith
Staff writer
Here's all you need to know about A.J. Hawk's priorities.
The NFL had badgered the Ohio State linebacker in recent days to come to New York for the draft. The league invited the top five or six players to be on hand for photo ops and glad-handing with Commissioner Paul Tagliabue holding a game jersey of the team that has selected them, customarily emblazoned with the number "1."
Hawk declined, citing educational and familial obligations.
"It was tough," he said. "But with all these trips, I'm missing a lot of class as it is, at least one a week. They wanted to make a whole weekend out of it. And on draft day, my agent tells me I'll be going to the city where I'm drafted that night.
"It's a huge honor, but I have a big extended family, and I knew I couldn't take all of them with me. I'd rather stay at home (Centerville, Ohio) with them where I'm comfortable."
When the NFL extends these offers of draft weekends in the Big Apple, it is relatively certain that the player will be among the first chosen. That avoids any embarrassment should one of the invitees slip to the lower part of the first round.
There's no possibility that will happen with Hawk, a guy who seems to be so grounded and highly regarded that he'll certainly be in the top five, perhaps in the top two.
The Saints, with whom Hawk visited this week, are reportedly high on Hawk, but might not, for financial reasons, be willing to take the top-rated linebacker that high, opting to trade down, get a few additional picks, and hoping Hawk still would be on the board at three, four or five.
Not the most sought-after recruit before he got to the Columbus, Ohio, campus as a freshman, Hawk fell right into the Ohio State tradition of great linebackers, worked hard and developed into the premier player at the position.
"That was just part of anyone's personality," Hawk said. "You come in and try not to listen to what was going on around me recruiting-wise. There's so much stuff going on coming from high school to college with the Internet sites, I never got caught up in it, never really worried about it.
"I wanted to try to make an impact early. Get on special teams and play a little bit and learn from the older guys. That's what I did. I got lucky, came into a great situation and got to start for three years."
Humble and unassuming, Hawk had no qualms about participating in a full workout at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February, unlike many of the top-rated players who were invited.
In return, he put up some impressive numbers: a 4.59 40-yard dash, 24 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, a stunning 40-inch vertical jump. Later, in individual workouts the next month in Columbus, Hawk ran 4.45 and 4.47 in the 40-yard dash.
Still, Hawk knows that linebacker is not one of the league's glamour positions, and it's likely he won't be picked right behind Reggie Bush, who's expected to go first overall.
"It's a position where a lot of times they say they don't want to draft people too high because they think 'How much impact can a linebacker have?' " Hawk said. "Guys like Shawne Merriman and Lofa Tatupu had huge years. I think the linebacker position, with all the defenses they're playing and with the offenses you have to face -- one week you're facing a spread offense and the next week a team is trying to pound the ball on you -- you have to be able to do a little bit of everything. That's the tough thing about playing college football, and it's even magnified more in the NFL.
"But it's understandable. Obviously, we're not big defensive ends who are going to get 15 to 18 sacks a year. We're not going to be a running back who's going to rush for 1,500 yards. It's a spot where there's three or four of them on the field, I guess you can justify not taking guys too high. All I want is a chance, regardless of where I'm taken."
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