Andrew Hawkins wrote fake email to help launch NFL career
As the old saying goes, fake it 'til you make it.
Andrew Hawkins played both wide receiver and cornerback during his time at the University of Toledo, finishing his college career with 1,107 all-purpose yards, five touchdowns and 21 tackles. Like hundreds of others, he went undrafted, left wondering if he had a shot at making it in the NFL.
In a piece written for The Players' Tribune, Hawkins recalls the day he made the decision to pursue a professional football career. It was Thanksgiving weekend 2007 and he had just played in his final college game.
"I vividly remember making that decision: despite the odds, I would go for it, but I'd keep it a secret," Hawkins wrote. "I'd work out every day and not tell anybody, because I didn't want people to laugh at me and not take me seriously. It was easy to keep it a secret, too. Nobody was paying attention to me. I wasn't on any NFL teams' radars. I didn't get invited to the combine.
"Hell, I didn't even have an agent. Agents only recruit guys they think have a shot at making it to the NFL, so nobody was fighting to represent little ol' me."
Hawkins knew he had to get himself an agent, but with no connections, he would have to get creative. So he set up a pseudo email account and posed as an assistant coach from Toledo, reaching out to several agents about this Andrew Hawkins kid that they should know about.
It worked, too. Hawkins' next order of business was getting the scouts at his pro day to notice him.
"Before my pro day, I made a pit-stop at Michael's - you know, the craft store - to pick up some clay," Hawkins wrote. "I bought clay that matched my skin tone, molded it to the heels of my feet and taped my feet up all the way past the ankle, like I would for a game. When it came time to measure me, it gave me about another inch and a half. Then, when I weighed in, I dropped a two-and-a-half pound weight in each of my pockets, which gave me an extra five pounds."
Hawkins spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Cleveland Browns in 2014. He led the Browns with 63 catches for 824 yards and two touchdowns last season.