A. J. Hawk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| A. J. Hawk | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | January 6, 1984 (age 23) |
| Place of birth |  Centerville, OH |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 246 lb (112 kg) |
| Position(s) | Outside linebacker |
| College | Ohio State |
| NFL Draft | 2006 / Round 1/ Pick 5 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2006–Present | Green Bay Packers |
Aaron James Hawk (born January 6, 1984 in Centerville, Ohio) is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. A two-time All-American in college, he played for the Ohio State University. He is 6'1" and 247 pounds (1.85 m, 112 kg), ran the 40 in 4.42 seconds at his Pro Day, 395 pound bench press, and has a 37 inch (102 cm) vertical leap.[1]
Contents |
[edit] College career
Hawk was injured for most of his senior year at Centerville High School. Despite this, he finished the season with 82 tackles. Scout.com labeled him a three-star recruit, but national powerhouse Ohio State still recruited the senior and would eventually commit.[1]
Hawk was key reserve in Ohio State’s road to 14-0, national championship season. In his first career start, Ohio St. beat beat Penn State 13-7 and his interception ended the Lions’ initial possession.
Hawk led the Buckeyes in tackles for three consecutive years (2003-2005). He was a consensus first team All-America selection as a junior and a unanimous first team All-America selection as a senior. In 2005, he also won the Lombardi Award and was voted Ohio State Most Valuable Player by his teammates.
At Ohio State, he led his team against Kansas State and Notre Dame in the 2004 and 2006 Fiesta Bowls, respectively; winning the Defensive MVP award in both contests. Gil Brandt of NFL.com said, "but if you were just looking at the prospects this year in a pure football sense and just saying who is the best player in this draft, it would be A.J. Hawk. He is amazing."[2]
[edit] NFL career
On April 29, 2006 Hawk was drafted in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was the 5th overall pick. A.J. Hawk signed a 6 year contract with the Packers, worth $37.5 million, on July 28, 2006. [2]. He recorded his first NFL sack on September 24, 2006, when he sacked Detroit Lions Quarterback Jon Kitna in the fourth quarter.
Hawk was selected the NFL Rookie Of The Week on October 23, 2006 in a win against the Miami Dolphins. He led Green Bay with 12 total tackles in the game and recorded one sack in the Packers’ 34-24 victory.
For his effort in the November 12, 2006 23-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Hawk was selected the NFL Rookie of the Week for the second time. Hawk recorded 13 total tackles and 1.5 sacks, and forced one fumble. Early in the third quarter, Hawk sacked the Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson for a 10-yard loss. He later combined with teammate Nick Barnett for another 10-yard sack.
On December 10, 2006 Hawk recorded his first NFL interception when he picked off Alex Smith during a 30-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
on December 31, 2006 during the Packer's final game of the 2006 season Hawk recorded his second interception of the season during a 26-7 win over the Chicago Bears.
In his rookie season, A.J. Hawk led the Packers' defense with 119 total tackles, 82 of them solo. He also recorded 2 interceptions, 3.5 sacks, 6 passes defended and 1 forced fumble. [3]. He was third place in voting for the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year.[4]
[edit] Pro Career Statistics (Defense)
| Year | Team | G | TTkl | Ast | Sacks | Int | Yds | Avg | Lg | TD | Pass Def | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 119 | 37 | 3.5 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 16 | 119 | 37 | 3.5 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
[edit] Trivia
- During the 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the commentators made mention of Hawk's relationship with the sister (Laura Quinn) of opposing Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn twice (along with a shot of her that showed her to be wearing a jersey that was split in half to be half Notre Dame, half Ohio State).[3] The two married in a Green Bay, Wisconsin law office on 2006-07-24.[4]
- Leading up to the draft, A.J., along with fellow prospects Vernon Davis and Jeremy Bloom, appeared in ads for Under Armour's new line of football cleats, with the slogan "Click Clack (I think they hear us coming)."
- Hawk hails from suburban Centerville, Ohio, which has also produced New York Jets Mike Nugent and Nick Mangold. At one point, the three players each attended Ohio State University and the same parochial grade school concurrently.[5]
- Hawk grew his hair long in 2005 as a tribute to the late Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who lost his life while serving in the U.S. Army.
- His older brother, Ryan Hawk, is the starting quarterback for the af2 team, the Green Bay Blizzard
[edit] Notes
- ^ Linebacker recruits 2002. Scout.com. Retrieved on July 28, 2006.
- ^ May, Tim. "OSU’s Hawk takes talk in stride", Columbus Dispatch, 2006-04-26, p. 01G. Retrieved on July 28, 2006.
- ^ Spencer, Jon. "Two storied teams ready to battle in Fiesta Bowl", USA Today, 2006-01-01. Retrieved on July 28, 2006.
- ^ Harris, Doug. "Hawk opts not to wait on wedding", Dayton Daily News, 2006-07-26, p. B1. Retrieved on July 28, 2006.
- ^ Crouse, Karen. "N.F.L. Excitement Building in Small Ohio Town", New York Times, 2006-11-30. Retrieved on November 30, 2006.
[edit] External links
- A.J. Hawk Official Website
- A.J. Hawk at Packers.com
- A.J. Hawk Ohio State Buckeye Bio
- Unofficial A.J. Hawk Fansite
| Preceded by David Pollack |
Lombardi Award 2005 |
Succeeded by LaMarr Woodley |
| Preceded by Mike Nugent |
Ohio State Buckeyes Football Season MVP 2005 |
Succeeded by TBD |
