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'The sky's the limit' for Hawk
Linebacker shows signs of taking off in his second season
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers need to regularly see days like Monday from A.J. Hawk.
Three days into training camp, their starting weak-side linebacker and the No. 5 pick overall in last year's draft stood out as perhaps the best player on the field during an extended segment of team drills in the red zone.
It was the kind of practice that impact players don't have every day, but often enough to prove they're consistent, top players. The Packers badly need some young players to emerge if they're to make the jump from a .500 team last year to a playoff club in 2007 and beyond.
"(His performance Monday) really doesn't come as a surprise, that's the whole thing," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel. "I'm looking for good things — no, great things — from A.J. We all are."
A year ago, General Manager Ted Thompson tabbed Hawk as the Packers' best candidate to become a star when he selected him with that premium No. 5 draft choice.
But last year in training camp, anyone looking for a standout day from Hawk as a rookie would have been disappointed. It's not easy for linebackers to jump out as playmakers in practice because there's no tackling to the ground, and Hawk had a relatively quiet rookie camp, occasionally flashing his talent on a play here or there, but never stringing together several eye-catching plays in the same practice. He did continuously improve throughout the season and led the Packers in tackles, but he was far from a finished product.
However, in Monday's lone practice, during extended team drills in the red zone and at the goal line, Hawk was in on at least four plays that stood out, even though he and the No. 1 defense were on the field for only about half the snaps.
On one play, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, subbing with the starting offense for the absent Brett Favre, was chased out of the pocket to his right and tried to throw the ball away into the ground near the line of scrimmage. Hawk made a diving play on the ball. Rodgers said the ball clearly hit the ground, but Hawk thought differently, and several defensive coaches reacted like they thought it was an interception, also.
"I think I (caught it), but I'll watch the film," Hawk said. "I think I did, I really do."
Then during the subsequent red-zone blitz drill, on a scripted play of third-and-goal from the 5, Hawk had the option of blitzing or dropping into coverage. Two other players blitzed, and Hawk quickly dropped back a couple steps to the goal line and tipped away a hot-read pass that he nearly intercepted from Rodgers to tight end Donald Lee.
"I had an idea before the snap that I was going to pop out, because I knew he'd have to get rid of the ball quick and I'd have no chance to get there before he got the ball out," Hawk said.
On the next snap, a scripted third-and-goal from the 4, Rodgers hit rookie receiver James Jones with a short pass over the middle, but Hawk stuffed him immediately at about the 1 to force what would have been fourth down.
A little later, in a short period of goal-line plays, Hawk stopped halfback Brandon Jackson for a short gain on a second-and-goal from the 7.
When considered together, the plays reflected some of Hawk's physical talents — he's a strong 248 pounds, and quick enough to stay on the field for most passing downs – along with his intangibles.
"He's a great athlete; he's got great instincts," cornerback Charles Woodson said.
"He's been in the system. The sky's the limit for him."
No doubt, it's easier for a linebacker to make noticeable plays in practice in the red zone than elsewhere on the field, because the players are condensed in a smaller area, and quarterbacks have to make their decisions quicker. Also, one strong practice early in training camp doesn't anoint Hawk star status.
But it's the kind of day the Packers have hoped to see, and that he'll have to repeat in camp to become the kind of difference maker whose presence improves the players around him. The Packers finished last season a respectable 12th in yards allowed defensively, but more importantly, they were 25th in points allowed, so this defense needs to make a major jump to become a playoff club.
On Monday, McKenzie went so far as to say Hawk, in time, can become an elite linebacker in the class of Chicago's Brian Urlacher or Tampa Bay's Derrick Brooks. They've been defensive MVP-type players the past several years, though Brooks is in decline at 34.
Regardless, that's a major statement.
"Yes indeed," McKenzie acknowledged. "We expect (Hawk) to be a consistent Pro Bowl player."
Linebacker shows signs of taking off in his second season
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers need to regularly see days like Monday from A.J. Hawk.
Three days into training camp, their starting weak-side linebacker and the No. 5 pick overall in last year's draft stood out as perhaps the best player on the field during an extended segment of team drills in the red zone.
It was the kind of practice that impact players don't have every day, but often enough to prove they're consistent, top players. The Packers badly need some young players to emerge if they're to make the jump from a .500 team last year to a playoff club in 2007 and beyond.
"(His performance Monday) really doesn't come as a surprise, that's the whole thing," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel. "I'm looking for good things — no, great things — from A.J. We all are."
A year ago, General Manager Ted Thompson tabbed Hawk as the Packers' best candidate to become a star when he selected him with that premium No. 5 draft choice.
But last year in training camp, anyone looking for a standout day from Hawk as a rookie would have been disappointed. It's not easy for linebackers to jump out as playmakers in practice because there's no tackling to the ground, and Hawk had a relatively quiet rookie camp, occasionally flashing his talent on a play here or there, but never stringing together several eye-catching plays in the same practice. He did continuously improve throughout the season and led the Packers in tackles, but he was far from a finished product.
However, in Monday's lone practice, during extended team drills in the red zone and at the goal line, Hawk was in on at least four plays that stood out, even though he and the No. 1 defense were on the field for only about half the snaps.
On one play, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, subbing with the starting offense for the absent Brett Favre, was chased out of the pocket to his right and tried to throw the ball away into the ground near the line of scrimmage. Hawk made a diving play on the ball. Rodgers said the ball clearly hit the ground, but Hawk thought differently, and several defensive coaches reacted like they thought it was an interception, also.
"I think I (caught it), but I'll watch the film," Hawk said. "I think I did, I really do."
Then during the subsequent red-zone blitz drill, on a scripted play of third-and-goal from the 5, Hawk had the option of blitzing or dropping into coverage. Two other players blitzed, and Hawk quickly dropped back a couple steps to the goal line and tipped away a hot-read pass that he nearly intercepted from Rodgers to tight end Donald Lee.
"I had an idea before the snap that I was going to pop out, because I knew he'd have to get rid of the ball quick and I'd have no chance to get there before he got the ball out," Hawk said.
On the next snap, a scripted third-and-goal from the 4, Rodgers hit rookie receiver James Jones with a short pass over the middle, but Hawk stuffed him immediately at about the 1 to force what would have been fourth down.
A little later, in a short period of goal-line plays, Hawk stopped halfback Brandon Jackson for a short gain on a second-and-goal from the 7.
When considered together, the plays reflected some of Hawk's physical talents — he's a strong 248 pounds, and quick enough to stay on the field for most passing downs – along with his intangibles.
"He's a great athlete; he's got great instincts," cornerback Charles Woodson said.
"He's been in the system. The sky's the limit for him."
No doubt, it's easier for a linebacker to make noticeable plays in practice in the red zone than elsewhere on the field, because the players are condensed in a smaller area, and quarterbacks have to make their decisions quicker. Also, one strong practice early in training camp doesn't anoint Hawk star status.
But it's the kind of day the Packers have hoped to see, and that he'll have to repeat in camp to become the kind of difference maker whose presence improves the players around him. The Packers finished last season a respectable 12th in yards allowed defensively, but more importantly, they were 25th in points allowed, so this defense needs to make a major jump to become a playoff club.
On Monday, McKenzie went so far as to say Hawk, in time, can become an elite linebacker in the class of Chicago's Brian Urlacher or Tampa Bay's Derrick Brooks. They've been defensive MVP-type players the past several years, though Brooks is in decline at 34.
Regardless, that's a major statement.
"Yes indeed," McKenzie acknowledged. "We expect (Hawk) to be a consistent Pro Bowl player."
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