Ian Hamilton
Leader-Post

REGINA -- In a way, Brent Hawkins already has replaced Stevie Baggs.

When the Saskatchewan Roughriders opened rookie camp Wednesday at Mosaic Stadium, Hawkins was sporting No. 90 -- the number Baggs wore for Saskatchewan in the 2008 and '09 CFL seasons. Hawkins is one of the candidates for the defensive end spots left vacant when Baggs (Arizona Cardinals) and John Chick (Indianapolis Colts) signed NFL contracts during the off-season.

"Somebody has 97, too," Hawkins said with a shrug when asked about his jersey, noting Chick's old number now is being sported by defensive tackle Vaalyn Jackson. "It's just a number; it's what you make of it. Stevie Baggs had a great career with No. 90 and hopefully I will too -- if I make this ball club."

Hawkins, a 26-year-old product of Godfrey, Ill., has taken a long and winding road to Saskatchewan.

He began his NCAA career at Purdue but left after two seasons, reportedly because he wasn't happy with his playing time. As he said Wednesday, "the opportunity that I was in really wasn't working for me," so he went in a different direction -- to a different sport.

After leaving Purdue, Hawkins decided to play basketball at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. A fractured foot put him on the shelf, but it also helped him realize he missed football. So he called Illinois State and joined its football team.

He had 17 sacks as a senior to set school and Gateway Conference records, was a runner-up for the award as the top defensive player in NCAA I-AA football, and was the MVP of the 2006 Hula Bowl.

That prompted the Jacksonville Jaguars to select him in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played 20 games over the next two seasons, recording 23 tackles and 5.5 sacks before being released in September 2008.

Unable to find another job in football, Hawkins subsequently retired.

"I tried out about 14 weeks straight for different teams," recalled the 6-foot-2, 247-pounder. "Not making a team, you second-guess yourself a little bit as to why you're not getting picked up. Maybe I made the wrong decision retiring at the time, but I felt like it was right."

In need of a job, Hawkins accepted a job as a labourer at an oil refinery in Wood River, Ill.

"I was working 14- to 16-hour days," he said. "That makes you value football and the opportunity that you get that much more. Having my kid (four-month-old Kai) also made me miss (football) because I felt I was being selfish and I needed to show him a good life, too."

So Hawkins started the process of trying to find another job in football. Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman had put Hawkins on Saskatchewan's negotiation list in January and the sides signed a deal in April.

Hawkins was mentioned a number of times by the Roughriders' brain trust before rookie camp as a possible successor to either Baggs or Chick. On Wednesday, Hawkins began the process of living up to the advance billing.

"You don't want to have too much of that (hype) on your mind or you can't play to your full potential out here, even in practice," he said. "They can regard you as they want. You've still got to come out here and play each and every down each and every way.

"I appreciate they value me that much. Now I've got to do my best to make it up to them for giving me the opportunity."

"He's quite an athlete, very fluid, very powerful and explosive," noted defensive line coach Mike Scheper. "We're all aware of the fact that he has a very solid NFL resume and pedigree. We're going to see how it goes. This is just Day 1, but so far so good on his part."

To be part of the ongoing battle at end, Scheper said Hawkins has to show he can physically handle the demands the Roughriders place on their ends and mentally pick up the team's scheme. If he can't, his stay in Regina will be short.

And if it is ...?

"I'll just keep trying," Hawkins replied. "I'm not going to give up. I've been given a gift by God and I'm just trying to run with it. I'll just ride it until the wheels fall off."

Courtesy: www.leaderpost.com