LB A.J. Hawk (2x All-American, Lombardi Trophy, National Champion, Super Bowl Champion)

[DEBuckeye]

Congrats to AJ!! Whoo-hoo! I love it- GO PACK GO!!!

 

[y0yoyoin]

Man, I was really hoping the Steelers would win number 7

how have you survived this long in cleveland without getting murdered?

 

[brodybuck21]

Congrats to AJ!! Whoo-hoo! I love it- GO PACK GO!!!

Go Packers!!

 

[Magua]

how have you survived this long in cleveland without getting murdered?

You'd be fucking shocked how many piece of shit Steeler fans reside in Northeast Ohio now days.

Everyone loves a winner, and unfortunately fan loyalty is not as important as it once was. I'm 25 and live in NEO Ohio and a lot of people in my generation are Steeler fans. Maybe because of when the team moved, perhaps, but mostly because they are just assholes :)

 

[BrutuStrength]

how have you survived this long in cleveland without getting murdered?

It's easy. We (wife and kids, too) usually even wear our jerseys on game days. Our neighbors are even Steelers fans.

Sometimes we encounter some pretty funny Browns fans. I remember one guy that was joking with us at a restaurant this season. He was wearing a Tim Couch jersey and the "C" crossed out so it read as "OUCH."

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjzydBwy6dU"]YouTube - A.J. Hawk On Packers' Win in Super Bowl[/ame]

 

[Oneshot]

This man is so well spoken it's unbelievable. My all-time favorite Buckeye.

 

[Buckskin86]

Steve Doerschuk: Super Bowl over, life goes on
By Steve Doerschuk
GateHouse News Service
Posted Feb 08, 2011

DALLAS ?

After winning the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers got back to the big game.

The game of life.

A.J. Hawk, who became an Ohio State icon when he grew his hair long and stopped ball carriers short, had a pretty good night.

One time Pittsburgh?s smash-mouth running back, Rashard Mendenhall, was churning toward a key first down when Hawk plastered him backward.

?You always try to set a tone for physical play,? Hawk said.

He won?t get to Canton with his Sunday stats (five tackles), and he still was answering questions about living up to having been a No. 5 overall draft pick in 2006.

I was walking with him away from the interview area when his eyes gave the answer to that one.

C?mon down to the field and see what I?m worth. Does it look like I?m loafing?

In another sense, Hawk was walking away from the field for maybe quite a while. He?ll be back who knows when?

Until further notice, the NFL is all about the expiring collective bargaining agreement. That was the last thing on Hawk?s mind.

It?s not quite spot on to say Hawk was all about representing Ohio State on Sunday. He was mindful of the Buckeyes.

?I had a great experience there, and I?m thankful for what Ohio State meant to me,? he said. ?Having the opportunity there is why I?m here.?

http://www.mpnnow.com/sports/x566175712/Steve-Doerschuk-Super-Bowl-over-life-goes-on

 

[Buckskin86]

A.J. Hawk: The injury to Barnett gave Hawk, who was either splitting time or not playing at all in nickel, the chance to play 100% of the downs. He did that for the final 16 weeks, contributing as much as he has in five seasons. As the junior partner to the talkative Barnett for four-plus seasons, Hawk's personality was submerged to an extent. With Barnett out, the calls came through Hawk. According to teammates, he communicated promptly and succinctly. He still isn't a heavy hitter, rates as a mediocre blitzer (one "pressure" every 19.6 snaps, worst on the defense), often gets stuck on blocks and is a step slow to the sideline. He's steady in coverage, having not given up a TD pass since Week 5 of 2008. Now Hawk's future is uncertain. The Packers won't pay him the $10 million base salary due him in 2011, but if he's on the roster by the first day of the league year (March 4, if labor accord is reached) that amount is guaranteed. He cannot play OLB in a 3-4. Grade: B-minus.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/116032624.html

 

[y0yoyoin]

It's easy. We (wife and kids, too) usually even wear our jerseys on game days. Our neighbors are even Steelers fans.

Sometimes we encounter some pretty funny Browns fans. I remember one guy that was joking with us at a restaurant this season. He was wearing a Tim Couch jersey and the "C" crossed out so it read as "OUCH."

i realize the epidemic of steeler fans in North East Ohio, especially when you are closer to Youngstown, and the PA border...but in the heart of Cleveland i figured that number would be less...its alot easier now i guess since pittsburgh has dominated since 1999....soemthing i hope changes soon

also with that jersey i also had a tim couch jersey that i turned into "DOUCHE" back when Jeff Garcia came to Cleveland in 2004...with a permanent marker i changed the C to a D, and then added the E, and it actually looks authentic like i had it made.....i even went to the home opener that year against baltimore (we actually won) and had many people come up to me wanting to take pictures with the jersey...so i like to think i had the first Tim Douche jersey since i have seen many more since

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ct-is-guaranteed-on-first-day-of-league-year/

A.J. Hawk?s salary is guaranteed on first day of league year

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on February 15, 2011, 12:31 PM EST

In a normal year, the Packers and linebacker A.J. Hawk would have to come up with a new contract in the next few weeks or the team would have to cut him.
This is not a normal year, of course.
Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that Hawk?s unmanageable $10 million base salary is guaranteed on the first day of the new league year. That?s supposed to be March 4, but will likely be delayed.
It will be telling to see if the Packers try to address the issue before a potential work stoppage. If they don?t, it?s a sign that teams are confident there will be some sort of buffer period after the next CBA is signed, whenever it is signed. (The Saints, similarly, aren?t expected to re-negotiate Reggie Bush?s deal pre-CBA.)
Think about it: If a new CBA is signed, the league year could theoretically start the next day. The Packers would have to cut Hawk or strike an immediate deal to avoid making his salary guaranteed.
If the Packers don?t lay some groundwork with Hawk before March 4, it?s a sign teams fully believe they will get at least a few days after a new CBA is signed before the next official league year starts.

 

[Buckskin86]

Hawk-Combine-is-a-game - AJ on NFL network

 

[Buckskin86]

Packers' Hawk on his combine experience
By Bob Wolfley of the Journal Sentinel
Feb. 23, 2011

Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk was chosen number five overall in the 2006 National Football League draft, so whatever he did at the NFL Scouting Combine that year before he was chosen obviously did not hurt him.

Hawk, who appeared Tuesday night on the NFL Network, talked about his approach to the combine that year.

?Going into the combine you can never really be completely prepared for it,? Hawk told Daryl Johnston and Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network. ?All I wanted to do was be myself. I talked to guys that had been there before me and they said the coaches just want to hear you talk, they want to see what you know about football, they just want to get to know you as a person. These days, they coach people up, they bring in actors, and try to do that. That?s fake to me, a waste of money. You might as well go in there and talk to them like you are talking to your dad.?

Hawk said the drills might seem as though they are the most important thing in the world at the time, but he learned they were not. He said he just wanted to compete with everyone else in camp and ?make a good showing.?

Hawk was asked what the most important thing was he wanted to show scouts.

?I just wanted to confirm what I had put on tape over the last three years at Ohio State when I was there,? Hawk said. ?I felt I could come to the combine, try to run a decent 40, then show them I could catch the ball, that I had decent hands as a linebacker and that I could change direction. . . . I wanted to make sure they knew that I could move in space.?

Hawk said he received good advice from former players, some from Ohio State, who had been through the combine. He did not name any of them.

?They said, ?You know what? You are not going to go out there and make anyone crazy about you. If they like you already, they?ll keep liking you. If they don?t, they are not going to care.? That?s the way I kind of looked at it.?

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/116773874.html?page=1

Yesterday, Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk talked to NFL Network about the Super Bowl XLV experience, Green Bay's play in Lambeau Field and the Packers great confidence throughout the year. He said he wasn't sure about his future with the Packers, either. Though Hawk has a year left on his contract, it is expected that the Packers will make some changes. He said he doesn't try to concern himself too much with the business end.

"I would love to be back with Green Bay next year," Hawk told NFL Netword. "I don't know if that's going to happen with how my contract is structured and everything that's going on. I would hope that they would try to work something out, but we'll see. If not, hopefully somebody else will give me a shot."

Hawk also had a chat on NFL.com where he answered questions like: How hard was it to learn how to quarterback the defense when you took over for (injured Nick) Barnett? "I wore it in practice the last three years so it wasn't that weird. I did enjoy calling the defense and it helped me communicate and take my game to another level. I enjoyed the responsibility to take that call, relay it to the defense and let them know what our plan of attack was. It was a great experience."

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/116729974.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Fresh off Super Bowl victory, A.J. Hawk stops by OSU
By Jay Clouse
[email protected]
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011

Joe Podelco / Photo editor

Justin Warvel, a second-year in biology, talks with former Ohio State linebacker and current Green Bay Packer A.J. Hawk as Hawk signs a photo for him during the Ohio Union Activity Board's Celebrity Signer Series in the Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 24, 2011.

Former Buckeye and current Green Bay Packer linebacker A.J. Hawk took a break from celebrating a Super Bowl victory to sign autographs at Ohio State.

Hawk spent two hours signing autographs Thursday afternoon for fans in the East Ballroom of the Ohio Union. He said it was "great" to be back at OSU.

Dan Biegger, a fifth-year in mechanical engineering, said he has been an OSU fan since he moved to Ohio from Green Bay, Wis., 15 years ago.

"I've been a Packers fan all my life," Biegger said.

The first student in line for the event was Beth Castilano, a fourth-year in actuarial science. Castilano arrived at 11:45 a.m. for the 2 p.m. event.

"I love A.J. Hawk; he went to my high school. My family has always followed him," Castilano said. "Everyone here has OSU stuff or Green Bay Stuff, I have Centerville."

Andrew Sutter, a fifth-year in anthropology, has been an OSU fan his whole life.

"A.J. has always been my favorite player," Sutter said. "I've always liked defensive players, and he was ?the guy' when he played here."

Also a Green Bay fan, Sutter said he thought Hawk did a good job anchoring the defense this year considering the team's injury problems.

OUAB member Courtenay Samsel, a fourth-year in human nutrition, said Hawk was brought in as part of OUAB's Celebrity Signer Series because he was a former OSU player and standout. The Celebrity Signer Series has also included alumni R.J. Umberger and Santonio Holmes.

Hawk was a member of the OSU football team from 2002-05, earning All-American honors his junior and senior years, and the 2005 Lombardi Award for the nation's top linebacker or lineman. This year he earned a Super Bowl title to go along with his 2002 Fiesta Bowl National Championship.

http://www.thelantern.com/campus/fresh-off-super-bowl-victory-a-j-hawk-stops-by-osu-1.2016836

 

[Buckskin86]

Thompson and McCarthy were noncommittal on whether they can bring back all four of their inside linebackers ? A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop, Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar ? next season.

Hawk will need to be signed to an extension or released, Bishop just signed a new extension, Barnett?s $6 million in total compensation make him a candidate to be released and Chillar?s 2010 season was halted prematurely by a shoulder injury.

While Thompson would only say that the Packers would ?like to keep our team intact as best we could,? McCarthy was effusive in his praise for Hawk and said he hopes the team can keep him.

?A.J. Hawk is a Green Bay Packer as far as I?m concerned. I?m not going to get into business situations. You just hope they?ll work out,? McCarthy said. ?A.J. as a football player and a person, he?s exactly what you?re looking for. There is a business side of this. You want all your players back. That?s how coaches always view these types of situations. A.J. grew tremendously, not only as a player, but as a leader in our locker room this year. Thought had a heck of a year. Hopefully everything works out.?

http://www.channel3000.com/sports/27005667/detail.html

One of the agents for linebacker A.J. Hawk has told people that he and the Packers have gotten nowhere in renegotiating Hawk's deal, even though it appears the Packers are interested in retaining him. Hawk has a $10 million guaranteed base salary in 2011 that, if not reworked before the start of the league year, would result in the Packers releasing him.

"It's like that all around the league," Bauer said of the inactivity.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/116964888.html

 

[Buckskin86]

At the combine: Hawk enters free agency

Former Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk has barely had time to celebrate winning the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers before he has to start wondering where he will play next season.

Hawk's original 5-year rookie contract is expiring, and yesterday at the NFL Combine, Packers coach Mike McCarthy was non-committal on Hawk's future.

"A.J. Hawk is a Green Bay Packer as far as I?m concerned," McCarthy said. "I?m not going to get into business situations. You just hope they?ll work out. ? A.J. as a football player and a person, he?s exactly what you?re looking for.

"There is a business side of this. You want all your players back. That?s how coaches always view these types of situations. A.J. grew tremendously, not only as a player, but as a leader in our locker room this year. Thought he had a heck of a year. Hopefully everything works out."

http://blog.dispatch.com/buckeyesblog/2011/02/at_the_combine_hawk_enters_fre.shtml

Mike McCarthy wants A.J. Hawk back in 2011
But Packers linebacker needs a reworked contract Brad Biggs
February 26, 2011

A.J. Hawk is pretty much in the same boat Reggie Bush is.

No, Hawk doesn?t need to give up any awards he received. But he might need to get a new contract if he wants to remain with his current team.

Hawk has a $10 million base salary with the Green Bay Packers for 2011, just a notch below the $11 million Reggie Bush is set to earn this coming season from the New Orleans Saints. Neither player figures to get that kind of base pay.

The question is what will the Packers get done with Hawk, the inside linebacker who has turned his career around after a slow start. Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has reported the money becomes guaranteed for Hawk on the first day of the league year.

One thing is evident: Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy wants Hawk to return.

?A.J. Hawk is a Green Bay Packer as far as I?m concerned,? McCarthy said. ?I?m not going to get into business situations. You just hope they?ll work out. ? A.J. as a football player and a person, he?s exactly what you?re looking for.

?There is a business side of this. You want all your players back. That?s how coaches always view these types of situations. A.J. grew tremendously, not only as a player, but as a leader in our locker room this year. Thought had a heck of a year. Hopefully everything works out.?

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Mike-McCarthy-wants-AJ-Hawk-back-in-2011.html