Alex Hawkins

For the musician, seeAlexander Hawkins.

Alex Hawkins

No. 25
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1937-07-02)July 2, 1937 Welch, West Virginia,U.S.
Died:	September 12, 2017(2017-09-12)(aged 80) Columbia, South Carolina,U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College:	South Carolina
NFL draft:	1959/ Round: 2 / Pick: 13
Career history
Baltimore Colts(1959–1965) Atlanta Falcons(1966–1967) Baltimore Colts(1967–1968)
Career highlights and awards
2×NFL champion(1959,1968) Third-teamAll-American(1958) ACC Player of the Year(1958) First-team All-ACC(1958) 2× Second-team All-ACC (1956,1957)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 208 Rushing yards: 787 Rushing touchdowns: 10 Receptions: 129 Receiving yards: 1,751 Receiving touchdowns: 12
Player stats atPFR

Clifton Alexander Hawkins(July 2, 1937 – September 12, 2017) was anAmerican footballplayer who played professionally as arunning backin theNational Football League(NFL) for theBaltimore ColtsandAtlanta Falcons.He excelled as aspecial teamsplayer and was a co-captain with the Colts, the first special teams player with this distinction.

Early years

Born inWelch, West Virginia,Hawkins graduated fromSouth Charleston High Schoolin 1955.

College career

From1956–58,Hawkins playedcollege footballatSouth Carolina;he rushed for 1,491 yards and was voted theAtlantic Coast Conference(ACC) player of the year as a senior and was a third-teamAll-American.

NFL career

Hawkins was the thirteenth player selected in the second round of the1959 NFL draft,but was released in mid-September by first-year head coachVince Lombardiof theGreen Bay Packers.The first four rounds of the draft were held in early December 1958, nearly two months before Lombardi was hired. Hawkins was picked up byBaltimore Colts,and they repeated asNFL championshis rookie season, defeating theNew York Giants31–16in thetitle gamein Baltimore.

In his final season in1968,Hawkins was special-teams captain for the Colts inSuper Bowl III,in which the heavily favored Colts were upset16–7byJoe Namathand theNew York Jetson January 12, 1969. During the 1968 season, the Colts had a record of13–1under head coachDon Shula,although Hawkins' playing time was limited.

During a nine-year NFL career, Hawkins rushed for 10 touchdowns, and his 129 pass receptions included 12 touchdown passes. He also returned punts and kickoffs.

Hawkins acquired the nickname "Captain Who" prior to a Baltimore Colts game with theChicago Bears,when the team captains were being introduced to each other before the game. Bears' Hall of Fame linebackerDick Butkusresponded to the official's reference to "Captain Hawkins" by blurting out "Captain Who?"

Broadcaster

After retiring as a player, Hawkins worked as acolor commentatorfor Falcons radio; forTVS' Thursday nightWorld Football League(WFL) telecasts andCBS'NFL telecaststhroughout the 1970s.

1977 NFC Championship Broadcast

In 1977, theNFC Championship Gamebetween theMinnesota Vikingsand theDallas Cowboyswas televised by CBS and covered by play-by-play announcerVin Scullywith Hawkins as color commentator.

Hawkins said that he hoped that the Cowboys would win, because "I've always been a Cowboy fan."

Hawkins was arrested during a traffic stop a few days after the championship game,and later was fired by CBS.

Death

Hawkins died at HarborChase Assisted Living and Memory Care inColumbia, South Carolinaon September 12, 2017, at the age of 80.

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromNFL.com·Pro Football Reference