Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Andrew Hawkins is taken down by Toronto Argonauts safety Willie Pile during first quarter CFL football action Sunday, November 7, 2010 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
CFL fans may remember Andrew Hawkins. Former CFL receiver for the Montreal Alouettes who was with the club during the 2009 and 2010 seasons collecting two Grey Cup rings. Since then Hawkins has gone on to play in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns and recently signed to play with the New England Patriots.
In an article for the Players’ Tribune Hawkins details his football career and the trials he has gone through in getting where he is today. From an undersized player who couldn’t get contract from the AFL, CFL or NFL, to now signing with the Super Bowl Champions, Hawkins’ story is truly one of overcoming roadblocks and true passion for the sport of football.
In 2007, @Hawk couldn’t get a contract from the @CFL or AFL.
A decade later, he’s signed with the @Patriots –> https://t.co/h60ec37sZ3 pic.twitter.com/GmbDhz8HYO
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) May 24, 2017
The article can be read HERE and has a Part 1 & Part 2.
Hawkins touches on the CFL in part one when he discusses a try-out he had with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he did not receive a contract offer from them. Part 1 then concludes with his signing with the Montreal Alouettes following his appearance on a Michael Irvin football reality show.
“Everything I’d been through — the workouts, the persistence, the disappointment — it all finally led me to a pro contract when I signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.
I was grateful, but I still had my sights set on the NFL. In my mind, the CFL was just another step towards that ultimate goal.
During my first season in Montreal, the Browns hired a new general manager, George Kokinis. He was looking for a wide receiver in that Wes Welker mold — a quick guy, my specialty. When he asked around the organization, a lot of guys told him about me, saying I’d had great workouts and got a raw deal because of my size. So Kokinis called me and said he’d talk to the Alouettes GM about signing me. But the Alouettes wouldn’t let me out of my deal. I didn’t like it, but I understood.”
Read the full Players’ Tribune pieces HERE: Part 1 & Part 2.
Here is some of the tape that Hawkins’ talks about in his article:
