Andrew Hawkins was one of the first players the Rams cut in training camp this year. You can't even say he got a "cup of coffee" here in St. Louis. It was more like a shot glass. Hawkins showed hands of glue in receiving drills, but when he got a tryout at returning punts at the end of practice, he muffed nearly every single one. The Rams let him go after one day. One practice. Hawkins had been on two championship teams in the CFL, but his NFL dream looked like it was abruptly over. He'd been in NFL minicamps since 2008; he even tried to win a Cowboys training camp invite on the reality show 4th and Long (he was runner-up). He had to be running out of chances.
Luckily for Hawkins, his story didn't end here. He'd tried out in Cincinnati before coming to the Rams, and Marvin Lewis had coached his brother Artrell, so it was only natural for the Bengals to put a claim in on Hawkins when they saw his name hit the waiver wire. As the end of this post on the Bengals' website reports, Hawkins' second act this summer is going a lot better than his first. He's kept working hard, hasn't quit, and he's impressed the Bengals' special teams coach.
I'd like to think Rams fans helped Hawkins along on his journey. A couple hundred of us watched him muff one punt after another back on the 30th of July, and we could feel and see his dream slipping away from him. When he finally caught one, he got a cheer from the fans. Not the jeer he'd probably have gotten in New York or Philadelphia, this was the kind of cheer you'd give your kids or your kid brother to encourage them not to quit. Well, whether it had anything to do with us or not, Hawkins didn't quit.
We'll be glued to the Rams' efforts in Jacksonville tomorrow night, but it'll also be a big night for Hawkins and a thousand players like him around the league. The last chance to impress the coaches and make an NFL roster, possibly the last chance they'll ever get to fulfill that dream.
Tomorrow night in Indianapolis, the Bengals are going to have Andrew Hawkins back to return punts. Go get 'em, kid.
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