A. J. Hawk
{{NFL.com player}} template missing ID and not present in Wikidata.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 4.44 seconds, ran the shuttle in 3.96 seconds, 395 pound bench press,[1] and has a 40 inch (102 cm) vertical leap.
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.[1]
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]
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. 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. Hawk currently ranks first on the team with 103 total tackles this season. Hawk’s 3.5 sacks are third on the team.
For his effort in the November 12, 2006 23-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Hawk was selected the NFL Rookie of the Week. Hawk recorded 13 total tackles and 1.5 sacks, and forced one fumble. Early in the third quarter, Hawk sacked the Vikings quarterback for a 10-yard loss. He later combined with teammate Nick Barnett for another 10-yard sack, giving him four this season.
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 the same parochial grade school concurrently.[5]
Notes
- ^ "Linebacker recruits 2002". Scout.com. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
- ^ May, Tim (2006-04-26). "OSU's Hawk takes talk in stride". Columbus Dispatch. p. 01G. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
- ^ Spencer, Jon (2006-01-01). "Two storied teams ready to battle in Fiesta Bowl". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
- ^ Harris, Doug (2006-07-26). "Hawk opts not to wait on wedding". Dayton Daily News. p. B1. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
- ^ Crouse, Karen (2006-11-30). "N.F.L. Excitement Building in Small Ohio Town". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-11-30.