Chris Hawkins Epitomizes LSU’s Aggressive Defense
Win or lose, LSU senior cornerback Chris Hawkins always knows what to expect following a football game.
“The only time football is ever stressful is when my real criticizer calls me,” he said. “After a game, I know I might as well get ready to answer my phone because my mother calls me and says ?I saw you miss that tackle’ or ?I saw you miss that play on the ball.’ She’s always coaching me up, though. That’s just the way she is.”
Despite starting all 13 games in 2008, including a breakout performance against Auburn that included two interceptions, Hawkins faced his share of outside critics following the Arkansas game in which he allowed the game-winning touchdown with 26 seconds left.
Hawkins insists that he never dwells on mistakes. Instead, he uses the experience to make him a better player.
“Every time you take a snap is a positive learning experience because every play is different,” he said. “I feel like I’m glad it happened then because I’ve learned from it. But it’s not that big of a deal to me.”
One month later, he returned to the field against Georgia Tech’s high-powered offense in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and redeemed himself with an interception.
“Interceptions are always good,” he said. “It kind of helped me ease the pain, but I didn’t harp on the Arkansas game nearly as much as everyone else does.”
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All things considered, Hawkins is happy with the way things have turned out so far. Coming out of high school at nearby Walker High, he was recruited as a cornerback despite playing running back and wide receiver in high school. He said his goal has always been to be a starter and contribute to the team as much as possible. However, practicing against his All-SEC offensive counterparts proved to be a difficult task as a freshman.
“I had no idea how to play defensive back until I got here and I’ve been trying to learn ever since,” he said. “I always wanted to be a starter. I want to compete and play with the best of them. Looking at all the other guys in front of me, going against JaMarcus Russell and all those guys, all the other receivers who were here like Dwayne Bowe, I was so overwhelmed by the talent that it was kind of scary, but I always knew I could play with them.”
Hawkins also said that the talent he faces in practice helps to prepare him for facing some of the best receivers in the Southeastern Conference.
“I feel like my teammates give me a lot of experience that most guys don’t get to have,” he said. “In practice, we go up against a lot of future first-round draft picks and I feel like that’s helped me a lot.”
New coach John Chavis is LSU’s third defensive coordinator in three seasons. LSU also added new defensive backs coach Ron Cooper. However, Hawkins doesn’t necessarily see such changes as setbacks. Instead, he says it works to his advantage because having to learn a new system levels the playing field between him and his teammates who spent high school playing defensive back instead of running back.
He vows that this year will be different, and that Chavis and Cooper will have the defense back to the high standards it has reached for most of the past decade.
“There’s a lot more focus on controlling the offense and making turnovers,” he said. “When the ball is in the air, it’s our ball. We’re not going to sit there and guard our man and just try to make sure he doesn’t catch it. We’re here, and we’re going get the ball. If it’s not thrown to our man, there’s no reason to be next to him. Once the ball is in the air, we’re going get it.”
Hawkins spent this year’s fall camp being pushed for playing time by fellow cornerbacks Jai Eugene and Ron Brooks. He said that having to fight to retain his starting spot has made him even more focused.
“Competition always makes you a better player,” he said. “I feel like that’s made me focus in on some of the smaller things I took for granted because I was a starter. When you’re a starter, you never try to take things for granted, but subconsciously you do it. Now, if I mess up one day in practice I might not be the starter the next day. I’m really focused on knowing what I have to do and executing what I have to do.”
With four people competing for two cornerback spots, there’s bound to be pressure. However, Hawkins said the competition hasn’t caused any tension between the teammates.
“In my mind, pressure always helps because it makes you a sharper player,” he said. “At the end of the day, we all still love each other but we’re about competing and making each other better. If I’m not giving my all, I’m not making anyone else better. If I give my all, I’m making my teammates better and I’m getting better. We really don’t talk about it, though. We’re all good friends, so it doesn’t affect us.”