Hawkins Back to Linebacker

This time, Brent Hawkins isn’t nervous about switching positions for the Jaguars from defensive end to linebacker.

“Actually, things are going way better than when I first got here,” Hawkins said after Tuesday’s organized team activity session. “When I first came out as a rookie playing linebacker, it was kind of rough jumping in at minicamp and trying to learn defensive end and all the little things with it, not to mention all the little things with linebacker, too. Being isolated at linebacker right now, it’s coming pretty well, I think.”

Entering his third season after being selected by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2006 draft, Hawkins started his NFL career at linebacker before coaches switched him to defensive end toward the end of training camp. Back at linebacker again, Hawkins seems ready to finally make the transition successfully.

“When you’re a rookie, you’re nervous,” Hawkins said. “So I think that’s what made it tough for me at linebacker. Now that I’ve been able to get through a whole season last year, I think that’s helped. Also, I’ve been coming out here and not taking life and everything else so seriously.”

In 14 games last season, Hawkins notched 13 tackles and 31/2 sacks while playing defensive end. When Hawkins first joined the team in 2006, the Jaguars envisioned him assuming more of a hybrid role - which, by the way, still might be in the cards.

“Coming out of college, he had 17 sacks his senior year,” said Gene Smith, the Jaguars’ executive director of college and pro personnel. “So we thought based on his spring workout, when [linebackers coach] Mark Duffner worked him out at linebacker drills, that he had the physical movement skills to play linebacker. We thought that on first and second downs, he could play Sam [strong-side linebacker] and on third down, he could be a DPR [designated pass-rusher] in our sub packages.

“I think now you’re seeing a guy where the game has slowed down for him mentally,” Smith added. “He’s processing things better with his eyes and his mind. So he’s starting to resemble a linebacker who still has the capability to bring some rush snaps for us.”

‘Hawk’ up to Speed

In this Q&A, Hawkins discusses anticipation for the playoffs, his cat, Bruce Leroy, and what it was like to grow up on a farm in Illinois:

Question: You transferred to Illinois State from Purdue in college. Why?

I transferred from Purdue because I was young, stupid. I thought maybe I was having some playing-time issues. That was the gist of most of it, so I just transferred up out of there. It didn’t have anything to do with the coaches or anything.

Q: So how does a guy get 17 sacks in one season like you did as a senior?

Aww, man [laughing]. Actually the coach from the Colts [John Teerlink], his son is Bill Teerlink. He had been at IU [Indiana] for two years, and they fired the staff. So he came and helped us out, and he introduced me to a totally new way of pass-rushing. Pretty much, he just showed me tape of [Dwight] Freeney and [Robert] Mathis for a whole spring. I was waking up, going over to the football office and doing these moves in the middle of the day and coming back and doing them some more, even after practice. I’d stay over and just work with him. So that’s how I had 17 [sacks] in one season.

Full Story: ‘Hawk’ up to speed for playoffs - [Jacksonville.com]

Hawkins Flashing Potential

Brent Hawkins admits there was a time in his life when he was “young and dumb.” That’s when Hawkins left Purdue after two years because he didn’t believe he was receiving enough playing time, then tried junior-college basketball for a year before finishing his football career at Illinois State.

“Wow, I was stupid,” Hawkins said Thursday after the Jaguars wrapped up a week of offseason drills. “They were treating me fine. I was blaming it on the coaches, but it was my first year playing defensive end, and I still had to learn.”

Source: Jaguars’ Hawkins flashing potential - [Jacksonville.com]